IAEA: Much of Iran’s enriched uranium likely still intact

An international nuclear watchdog group says Iran likely still holds a significant stockpile of 60% enriched uranium.

By World Israel News Staff

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said that roughly half of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is likely still intact at an underground nuclear development site in Isfahan.

The uranium, enriched to 60% purity, is close to the level needed for use in nuclear weapons.

“What we believe is that Isfahan had until our last inspection a bit more than 200 kilograms, maybe a little bit more than that, of 60% uranium,” Grossi told reporters in Paris on Monday, according to a Reuters report.

Grossi noted that if the uranium were further enriched, it could be sufficient to produce up to 10 nuclear weapons.

“The widespread assumption is that the material is still there. So we haven’t seen – and not only us, I think in general all those observing the facility through satellite imagery and other means to see what’s going on there – movement indicating that the material could have been transferred,” he added.

Grossi also said the agency believes there is additional enriched uranium at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility.

Iran has long resisted transparency with international inspectors and organizations regarding its nuclear program.

For years, Iranian officials pointed to a fatwa — an Islamic religious decree — reportedly issued by the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that banned the creation and use of nuclear weapons, arguing that it proved Iran’s nuclear program was strictly civilian.

However, the fatwa is no longer in effect after Khamenei was assassinated on the first day of the American-Israeli war on Iran in late February.

The fate of Iran’s uranium stockpile has been a central concern since last year’s Operation Rising Lion, the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel that also included strikes by the U.S. targeting several of the country’s nuclear facilities.

Last June’s American strikes on Iran’s Fordow nuclear site were reported to have destroyed a significant portion of the country’s enriched uranium.

However, later reports suggested Iran had transported much of the uranium stored at Fordow to another location before the American attack.