Iran’s nuclear stockpile now five times over nuclear deal limit

The UN watchdog admonished Tehran on Tuesday for failing to provide access to two undeclared locations or fully answer its questions about past activities there.

Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu points to red line he drew on graphic of bomb used to represent Iran's nuclear program, in New York (photo credit: LUCAS JACKSON/REUTERS)

Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium is more than five times the 300 kg limit set by the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal, announced the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday, according to AFP.

The Iranian stockpile stood at 1,510 kg as of February 19. Some experts consider this amount enough in order to produce a nuclear weapon, but there are still several steps Iran would need to take before making it suitable for a nuclear weapon. The Islamic Republic has not been enriching uranium above 4.5%, according to the IAEA report.

“The fact that we found traces (of uranium) is very important. That means there is the possibility of nuclear activities and material that are not under international supervision and about which we know not the origin or the intent. That worries me,” said Rafael Grossi, the new head of the IAEA, to AFP.

The UN watchdog admonished Tehran on Tuesday for failing to provide access to two undeclared locations or fully answer its questions about past activities there.

Reuters first reported on Monday that the IAEA planned to issue a second report in addition to its regular quarterly update on Iran’s nuclear activities, rebuking Iran for less than full cooperation in general and for failing to grant UN inspectors access to one or more sites of interest.

“Iran has not provided access to the agency to two locations…and not engaged in substantive discussions to clarify agency questions related to possible undeclared nuclear material and nuclear-related activities,” the second IAEA report said.

“The director general calls on Iran to immediately cooperate fully with the agency, including by providing prompt access to the locations specified,” said the confidential report seen by Reuters.

The report added that Iran had informed the IAEA that it “will not recognize any allegation on past activities and does not consider itself obliged to respond to such allegations.”

The landmark 2015 nuclear accord, which lifted international sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities, has been unraveling since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the deal in 2018 and imposed sanctions that have throttled Tehran’s oil exports.

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