The UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced Monday that it estimates Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium has grown to more than 18 times limits put in place by the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal with world powers, brokered under Obama.
This includes uranium enriched up to 20%, with the IAEA in a fresh report saying its monitors "estimated that, as of May 15, 2022, Iran’s total enriched stockpile was 3,809.3 kilograms." The 2015 deal set the ceiling at 300 kilograms. Further the deal, which the US pulled out of in 2018 under the Trump administration, puts enrichment levels at 3.67%.
The report further indicates the amount enriched to 60% is now at 43.1 kilograms. To be considered weapons grade, Iran would have to enrich to about 90%.
But recently, the IAEA has voiced that it's "extremely concerned" about lack of Iranian communication over possible undeclared nuclear sites:
"I am referring to the fact that we, in the last few months, were able to identify traces of enriched uranium in places that had never been declared by Iran as places where any activity was taking place," IAEA head Rafael Grossi told a European Parliament Committee.
"The situation does not look very good. Iran, for the time being, has not been forthcoming in the kind of information we need from them… We are extremely concerned about this," Grossi continued.
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