‘Iran dramatically accelerating uranium enrichment to near bomb grade,’ International Atomic Energy Agency says

Iran accelerates uranium enrichment to 60%, raising concerns of nuclear weapons development, sparking international alarm and condemnation.

Iran is "dramatically" accelerating its enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% level that is weapons grade, United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told Reuters on Friday (December 6, 2024).

The International Atomic Energy Agency later confirmed in a confidential report to member states that Iran was speeding up uranium enrichment, a process that refines the raw material so that it can be used as fuel in civil nuclear power generation or, potentially, nuclear weapons.

The International Atomic Energy Agency findings will deepen alarm in western countries that say there is no justification for enriching uranium to such a high level under any civilian programme and that no other country has done so without producing nuclear bombs.

Iran denies pursuing nuclear weapons.

Tehran already has enough material enriched to up to 60% purity to be able to make four nuclear weapons if it enriches it further, according to an International Atomic Energy Agency yardstick.

"Today the Agency is announcing that the production-capacity is increasing dramatically of the 60% inventory," International Atomic Energy Agency chief Grossi said on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain.

He said Iran's production capacity was set to rise to "seven, eight times more, maybe, or even more" than the current level of 5-7 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60% purity a month.