UN nuclear watchdog 'concerned' over Iran's high uranium stockpile

The United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog, on June 1, voiced concerns that Iran had not clarified queries over possible undeclared nuclear activity, adding that its enriched uranium stockpile was 16 times over the limit. According to International Atomic Energy Agency’s report, Iran’s uranium stockpile was 3,241 kilograms, which amounted to 273 kilograms higher than the previous quarterly report. Additionally, Iran had, last month, openly announced to enrich uranium to 60 per cent purity, a move bringing fissure material closer to levels suitable for bombs. However, under the 2015 JCPOA pact, the IAEA had agreed to allow Tehran to enrich Uranium only to a threshold of 3.67 per cent. 

Undeclared Nuclear activity

The report said IAEA director general Rafael Grossi was "concerned that the technical discussions between the agency and Iran have not yielded the expected results," referring to exchanges on the sites where undeclared nuclear activity may have occurred. The US and other western states accuse Iran of operating clandestine nuclear reactors. Earlier in February, Iran suspended inspections of its nuclear sites but later allowed it till June 24. The two reports that the IAEA issued on Monday are the first substantive reports since the initial suspension.

The IAEA says that the results of its inspection work have established "a clear indication that nuclear material and/or equipment contaminated by nuclear material has been present" at three undeclared locations, with most of the activity in question dating back to the early 2000s. While the global watchdog had put in a “proactive and focused”, it has still failed to reveal details about a fourth site where natural uranium may have been present between 2002 and 2003 in the form of a metal disc.

The reports come on the same day as Iran, along with six world powers have made “significant progress” in talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal but important issues still need to be resolved, Iran Foreign Ministry said on May 31. Speaking at a televised news briefing, ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh, further asserted that by the end of the ongoing talks in Vienna, the involved parties would reach a conclusion. The fifth round of talks took off in the Austrian capital on May 25 to conclude an agreement on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), the prime reason behind the US-Iran kerfuffle.

Image: AP