Iran nuclear chief says uranium stockpile reaches 950 tons

The chief of Iran’s nuclear agency says the country’s effort to acquire uranium has resulted in a stockpile of as much as 950 tons.

Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, tells state TV on Wednesday that Iran has imported some 400 tons of the stuff since the 2015 landmark nuclear deal with Western powers, bringing its stockpile to between 900 and 950 tons — up from 500 tons.

Salehi says that’s enough for Iran to run its longtime goal of 190,000 centrifuge machines for enriching uranium in the future.

The nuclear accord limits Iran’s uranium enrichment to 3.67 percent, enough to use in a nuclear power plant but far lower than the 90 percent needed for an atomic weapon.

However, since the US pulled out of the deal in May, Iran has vowed to boost enrichment capacity to put pressure on the remaining signatories to live up to the agreement.

— AP