IAEA Warns Iran Is Enriching Uranium Close to Nuclear Bomb Grade, “No Civilian Justification”

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned on Thursday that Iran is rapidly enriching uranium to close to nuclear bomb-grade, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.

Affirming the IAEA’s concerns, a Western diplomatic source told Reuters on Saturday, December 7 that Tehran has no civilian justification for such activity. “These measures have no credible civilian justification and could, on the contrary, directly fuel a military nuclear program if Iran were to take the decision,” the unnamed official said. “They are in contradiction with Iran’s declarations on its willingness to return to credible negotiations.”

In a confidential report to UN member states seen by Reuters, the IAEA said Iran has been putting uranium hexafluoride gas enriched to up to 20% instead of the previous 5% into two interconnected cascades of IR-6 centrifuges at the Fordow [nuclear plant] enriching to up to 60%, close to the roughly 90% of weapons-grade.

According to the IAEA, Iran plans to “significantly increase” production of highly enriched uranium, TOI reports.

“The information reported by the Director General of the Agency, indicating a significant increase in Iran’s capacity to produce highly enriched uranium at 60%, is extremely serious,” the Western diplomatic source told Reuters.

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