IAEA Warns of Iran's Nuclear Capabilities as Uranium Stockpile Grows

The United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warns of Iran's nuclear capabilities as the country's stockpile of uranium continues to grow.

The IAEA's warning against Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons is fueled by public statements in the country. The situation comes as tensions between Iran and the nuclear watchdog have repeatedly flared up since a 2015 deal curbing Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from sanctions fell apart.

Iran's Nuclear Capabilities

In the IAEA's report, the agency's head, Rafael Grossi, said that "public statements made in Iran regarding its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons only increase the director general's concerns about the correctness and completeness of Iran's safeguards declarations."

In the past few years, Tehran has gradually decreased its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. It has deactivated surveillance devices that are needed to monitor the nuclear program and also barred inspectors among other measures.

Grossi reiterated that he was calling on Iran to fully and unambiguously cooperate with the IAEA regarding the matter. This comes as relations between the two parties have steadily deteriorated over time, as per the Times of Israel.

The IAEA chief said that it is only through constructive and meaningful engagement can various concerns be addressed. Iran has significantly ramped up its nuclear program and is believed to now have enough material to build several atomic bombs.

The nuclear watchdog estimated in its quarterly report that as of Feb. 10, Tehran's total enriched uranium stockpile has increased to 5,525.5 kilograms, which is 1,038.7 kilograms more since the last quarterly report that was released in November last year.

The agency also said that based on its assessment, Iran has an estimated 121.5 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60% purity, which marks a decline of 6.8 kilograms since the last report that was released in November 2023.

Increasing Uranium Stockpile

The decrease is said to be the result of Iran having diluted some of its 60% enriched uranium in the past few weeks with lower-grade material. By the definition of the IAEA, roughly 42 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% is what is needed to create one atomic weapon, theoretically, according to the Associated Press.

Between June and November 2023, Iran slowed down the enrichment to three kilograms per month but then increased the rate back to nine kilograms at the end of the year. The deputy vice president of the Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiative, Eric Brewer, said that Tehran could potentially make several nuclear bombs with the resources it currently has.

He noted that Iran already has enough 60% material for roughly three nuclear weapons if further enriched to 90%. When including the country's stockpile of 20% enriched uranium and 5%, it already has enough for several more bombs.

Brewer noted that Iran would only need a couple of weeks to produce weapons-grade material and a bit longer to build an actual bomb that it could deliver. The scrapped 2015 deal allowed Iran to enrich uranium only up to 3.67% purity, maintain a stockpile of uranium of 300 kilograms, and use basic IR-1 centrifuges, said the Voice of America News.