Published 04:20 IST, September 5th 2020
IAEA finds Iran increasing its enriched uranium stockpile, cites violation of nuclear deal
IAEA said Iran is continuing to increase its stockpile of enriched uranium in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal signed between Tehran and other major powers.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday, September 4 said that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium has increased since it was last measured in May this year. The UN's atomic watchdog said the Islamic Republic is continuing to increase its stockpile of enriched uranium in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal signed between Iran and other major powers of the world.
Earlier, on August 26 Iran agreed to provide the IAEA access to its two suspected nuclear sites for verification activities after long denying permission for nuclear inspection in the country. According to the Associated Press, which has viewed a confidential document distributed by the IAEA to members of the nuclear deal, Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium has increased from 1,571.6 kilograms in May to 2,105.4 kilograms as of August 25.
Nuclear deal violation
As per reports, IAEA said that the stockpile of enriched uranium is enough to produce a weapon and stated that Iran is enriching uranium to a purity of up to 4.5 percent, while the 2015 nuclear agreement doesn't allow the purity to be above 3.67 percent. This is also a violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or the nuclear deal that allows the country to keep a stockpile of 202.8 kilograms only.
Under the deal, it was agreed that Iran would scale down its uranium enrichment programme and in exchange international sanctions against the country would be lifted. However, after the Trump administration's unilateral withdrawal from the Obama-era deal, the United States reimposed sanctions on the country preventing it from selling oil and gas to the world, which is a major source of income for the Middle East nation.
North Korea still enriching uranium
In another significant development, IAEA reported that it suspects North Korea is still enriching uranium which could potentially be used in a nuclear weapon. IAEA does not have any inspectors in Pyongyang at the moment since they were expelled back in 2009.
According to reports, IAEA has intensified its open-source information collection and increased its reach over satellite imagery to monitor North Korea's nuclear program. It further added that without any vigilance teams present to carry out information, the IAEA’s knowledge of North Korea’s nuclear program “is limited and, as further nuclear activities take place in the country, this knowledge is declining.”
Updated 04:20 IST, September 5th 2020