Iran is rapidly building up its stockpile of enriched uranium and currently has more than 100 kg of uranium enriched to 60%.
This was stated by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
“You have before you my latest report on Verification and monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran in light of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015)... The report indicates that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium has risen by over a quarter in three months. This includes its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 20% U-235, which is approaching half a ton, and its stockpile of high enriched uranium – enriched up to 60% U-235 – which is well over 100 kg,” — Grossi said.
According to him, the Agency did not have the opportunity to check and monitor the JCPOA for the production and inventory of centrifuges, rotors and bellows, heavy water and uranium ore concentrate for two and a half years.
In November 2022, the IAEA said that Iran had increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to 62.3 kg. The agency criticized Tehran for continuing to block IAEA access to Iranʼs nuclear facilities.
Non-proliferation experts said Iran has enough enriched uranium to process it into fuel for at least one nuclear bomb.
- On April 10, 2021, the plant in Iran launched new 164 IR-6 and 30 IR-5 centrifuges, which can enrich uranium faster. The launch was watched by President Hassan Rouhani. He reiterated that Iranʼs nuclear program has an exclusively peaceful purpose and is not aimed at creating weapons.
- In November 2022, the 35-nation Board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution requiring Iran to cooperate with the agency in investigating traces of uranium found at three undeclared sites.