TEHRAN: Iran’s top nuclear official, Mohammad Eslami, responded on Wednesday to an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report that highlighted an acceleration in the production of highly enriched uranium by stating, “We have done nothing new, and our activity is according to the regulations.”
The IAEA report, released on Tuesday, noted that Iran had increased its production of highly enriched uranium, reversing a previous output reduction from mid-2023. Eslami insisted that Iran’s production of 60 percent enriched uranium remained consistent, maintaining that there were no changes or new capacity created.
According to the UN watchdog, Iran’s output of 60 percent enriched uranium reached approximately nine kilograms (20 pounds) a month since the end of November, up from about three kilograms a month since June. This marks a return to the nine kilograms a month produced during the first half of 2023. Enrichment levels of around 90 percent are required for use in a nuclear weapon.
Iran Denies Ambition to Develop Nuclear Weapons
While Iran has consistently denied any ambition to develop nuclear weapons, the recent increase in uranium production comes amid intensified hostility between Iran and the United States. Informal talks for a restored nuclear agreement had seemingly led to a slowdown in Iran’s enrichment activities.
However, relations soured in recent months, with both countries accusing each other of exacerbating the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Iran had slowed its enrichment as a diplomatic gesture during talks with the United States.
Iran suspended compliance with limits on its nuclear activities set by the 2015 nuclear deal a year after former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. As a result, Iran has accumulated enriched uranium stocks 22 times higher than permitted under the deal, according to a confidential IAEA report from last month.
Eslami criticized what he termed a “media frenzy” surrounding the latest IAEA report, accusing it of attempting to divert public attention from the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
