It remains unclear exactly how Tehran will restrict access by IAEA inspectors.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report released on Tuesday that Iran had produced 17.6 kilograms of uranium enriched to 20 percent, roughly equivalent to the amount of ten months a month stipulated in Iran’s nuclear law through January.
All in all, its total uranium reserves have increased to nearly three tons. On November 2, the Islamic Republic still had 2,442.9 kg. Meanwhile, the nuclear deal allows him to fertilize a maximum of 202.8 kilograms, with enrichment of up to 3.67 percent.
In addition to its quarterly report, the organization released a second report on Tuesday in which it complained that Tehran’s leadership had so far failed to answer questions about uranium particles discovered during last year’s inspection of Iranian facilities.
Iran has indicated that it is no longer bound by the so-called Additional Protocol to the 2015 Nuclear Energy Treaty, which allows IAEA inspectors to inspect, even unexpectedly, any Iranian facility they deem necessary to inspect it.
After talks with Iran on Sunday, Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that under a temporary technical agreement, agency experts could still conduct necessary inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities, but they could not conduct unannounced inspections.
And Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javan Zarif said earlier that they would not send footage from cameras operating in nuclear facilities to the International Atomic Energy Agency. According to the Iranian nuclear agency, the recordings will remain for a period of three months, but will be canceled if the sanctions imposed on Tehran are not lifted.
During Donald Trump’s presidency of the United States in May 2018, he unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal with Iran and has since reimposed sanctions on Tehran. Since then, Iran gradually began to violate the terms of the agreement at several points. In recent weeks, it has restarted production of 20 percent enriched uranium.
Ayatollah Ali Hameni, Iran’s most senior religious and political leader, said on Monday that Tehran would not give in to American pressure and would not give up its nuclear program. He said they could produce enriched uranium up to 60 percent if needed. But Hamini stressed that they are not seeking to produce nuclear weapons. Their nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes in the fields of energy production and medicine.
Cover photo: Getty Images
