Iran Increases Near Weapons-Grade Uranium Stockpile by 17%, 30 Times 2015 Deal Limit: IAEA

May 27, 2024, 03:55 PM

Iran has significantly increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, according to a confidential report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As of May 11, Iran's stock of uranium enriched up to 60% purity in uranium hexafluoride (UF6) form has grown by 20.6 kilograms to 142.1 kilograms, representing a 17% increase. This stockpile is now more than 30 times the limit set by the 2015 nuclear deal. The IAEA report also notes that Iran's total stock of enriched uranium has grown by 675.8 kilograms since the last quarterly report to 6,201.3 kilograms. Additionally, Iran has diluted 5.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 60% by mixing it with 12.5 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 2%, producing 18.4 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 20%. The IAEA has expressed concerns about Iran's technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons and possible changes to its nuclear doctrine.