WANA (May 31) – Some foreign media outlets have claimed that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in a report to the members of the Board of Governors, announced that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium at 60% purity has increased and now exceeds 408 kilograms.

 

According to this report, it is alleged that as of May 17, Iran possessed 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60%, marking an increase of 133.8 kilograms compared to the previous IAEA report in February.

 

In the previous IAEA report published in February, the amount of this stockpile was reported to be 274.8 kilograms.

 

In this report, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has once again repeated political allegations regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, claiming that this level of enrichment constitutes a “short technical step” from the 90% level (known as weapons-grade).

 

He has claimed that “Iran is the only non-nuclear-armed country enriching at this level.” According to the report, Grossi has also “called for Iran’s full and effective cooperation” with the Agency.

 

In addition, a confidential and comprehensive report addressed to IAEA member states states that Iran previously carried out undeclared nuclear activities at three sites that have long been under investigation. These activities reportedly involved nuclear material that had not been declared to the UN nuclear watchdog.

 

This comprehensive report, prepared at the request of the Board of Governors in November, concludes that: “These three locations, and other possible related sites, were part of a structured and undeclared nuclear program that Iran carried out until the early 2000s. Some of the activities at these locations involved the use of undeclared nuclear material.”

 

Furthermore, the IAEA has issued two quarterly reports on Iran to member states, one of which was prepared at the request of the Board of Governors.

 

The Agency stated that there is no reliable or documented indication of the existence of an undeclared nuclear program of the type previously described currently in Iran. However, it emphasized that Iran has repeatedly failed to answer the Agency’s questions or provide technically credible responses, and in some cases, has taken steps to clean up the sites under investigation.

 

This report comes as, according to the announced schedule, the next meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors is set to be held next Monday in Vienna, and the issue of Iran’s nuclear program remains on the agenda as in previous sessions.

 

The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly emphasized that enrichment of uranium to 60% is within the framework of its peaceful nuclear rights, with non-military objectives, and in accordance with industrial and medical needs.

 

Iran has consistently stated that it remains committed to its safeguards obligations and continues transparent cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. At the same time, Iranian officials have repeatedly warned against the political use of the Agency and the imposition of illegal pressure by some Western countries.

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)