UN Nuclear Agency Reports Discovery of Near Bomb-Grade Level Uranium in Iranian Nuclear Plant

According to the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, uranium enriched to near bomb-grade levels has been found at an Iranian nuclear facility. The US has warned that Tehran’s capacity to build a nuclear bomb is increasing. In a recent report, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that uranium particles of 83.7% purity – close to the 90% enrichment needed for a nuclear bomb – were discovered at Iran’s Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. The IAEA also noted that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% had grown from 25.2 kg to 87.5 kg since the last quarterly report. Israel has declared that it will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear bomb and will take military action against Iranian nuclear facilities if the US cannot reach a nuclear deal with Iran. The IAEA report also mentioned that talks with Iran to clarify the matter are ongoing and that the IAEA is able to detect and report changes in Iran’s nuclear operations. Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated that the IAEA’s deputy director general had visited Iran twice in the past weeks and that the IAEA’s director general had been invited to visit the country. The US State Department spokesperson said that the IAEA report could be a “very serious development” and that they are in contact with their allies and partners in Europe and the region while awaiting further details from the IAEA.