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Iran advances nuclear enrichment while still barring inspectors: IAEA | Nuclear Weapons News<\/p>\n
Watchdog says stonewalling of inspectors \u2018extreme and unjustified\u2019 as stockpile reaches 22 times the nuclear deal limit.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Iran continues barring several experienced nuclear inspectors, and has enough uranium enriched to up to 60 percent purity, close to weapons-grade, for three atom bombs, according to confidential reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).<\/p>\n The United Nations nuclear watchdog on Wednesday slammed Iran\u2019s decision to withdraw the accreditation of several inspectors, announced in September, as \u201cextreme and unjustified\u201d and said it \u201cdirectly and seriously affected\u201d the agency\u2019s work.<\/p>\n \u201cIran\u2019s stance is not only unprecedented, but unambiguously contrary to the cooperation that is required,\u201d IAEA chief Rafael Grossi wrote in a report to the agency\u2019s member states.<\/p>\n Iran in September withdrew the accreditation of several inspectors, a move Tehran described as retaliation for \u201cpolitical abuses\u201d by the United States, France, Germany and Britain.<\/p>\n The move targets eight top inspectors, with French and German nationals among them, according to a diplomatic source.<\/p>\n In the report, the IAEA said it received a letter from Iran on Wednesday, reiterating its position \u201cthat it was within its rights\u201d to withdraw the accreditation, but was \u201cexploring possibilities to address the request\u201d of the agency to reinstate it.<\/p>\n Member states can generally veto inspectors assigned to visit their nuclear facilities under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).<\/p>\n Grossi expressed \u201chis hope that this matter will be resolved promptly\u201d.<\/p>\n In a separate confidential report, the IAEA said that Iran\u2019s estimated stockpile of enriched uranium had reached more than 22 times the limit set out in the 2015 accord between Tehran and world powers.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s total enriched uranium stockpile was estimated at 4,486.8kg (9,891.7lb) as of October 28, up by 693.1kg (1,528lb) from August, the report said. The limit in the 2015 deal was set at 202.8kg (447lb).<\/p>\n The report comes amid long-standing tensions between Iran and the agency, which is tasked with monitoring a nuclear programme that Western nations have long suspected is aimed at eventually developing a nuclear weapon. Iran denies wanting to build nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n In 2015, major world powers reached a deal with Iran, aimed at curbing Tehran\u2019s nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.<\/p>\n That started to unravel in 2018 when then-US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from it and reimposed sanctions, and Iran retaliated by stepping up its nuclear activities.<\/p>\n European Union-mediated efforts to revive the deal have so far proved fruitless.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0635\u062f\u0631<\/a>
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