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Atomic Energy Agency concerned: Iran is rapidly increasing uranium reserves

2021-02-23T19:10:22.429Z


Tehran now has tons of enriched uranium - and the amount is growing rapidly. The competent control authority is now demanding clarification about other radioactive material that has emerged.


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Uranium enrichment plant in Natanz, Iran

Photo: Reuters Photographer / REUTERS

At the end of US President Donald Trump's term in office, observers had hoped for a return to the nuclear deal with Iran.

But new findings from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are unlikely to go down well in the United States.

According to this, Iran has illegally increased its reserves of enriched uranium to almost three tons since November.

Another 500 kilograms were added, according to an IAEA report.

This also includes 17.6 kilograms, which are enriched to 20 percent.

In addition, the IAEA expressed deep concern that Iran was not providing an explanation of the origin of uranium particles that could provide information about past activities.

In the past year, uranium particles were found in two places.

In addition, Iran has not answered a similar question about a third site in 18 months, criticizes the IAEA.

Iran and the US are demanding mutual return to the nuclear deal

In the 2015 nuclear agreement, Iran actually set an upper limit of around 200 kilograms of low-enriched pure uranium.

The agreement is supposed to prevent the country ruled by Shiite clerics from building an atomic bomb.

After the US withdrew from the deal and reintroduced economic sanctions, Tehran demonstratively violated the requirements several times.

Under the new US President Joe Biden, there were hopes that both sides could come to an agreement.

Iran makes a US return to the deal a condition for it to re-follow the rules itself.

The time pressure is growing: According to Israel's assessment, Iran can apparently get the atom bomb within six months.

European states demand transparency

Iran and the West finally clashed over the controls of the Iranian nuclear projects.

The country recently announced a restriction on the IAEA's inspections of nuclear facilities in Iran.

On Sunday, the authority finally announced that an interim solution had been found for the next three months.

It has been in force since today.

According to IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, the organization will have "less access" to the nuclear facilities in the future, but the agreement will allow "to maintain the necessary level of controls and verification work."

On the occasion of the official start of the restriction on UN atomic inspections, Germany, France and Great Britain demanded more transparency.

"We urge Iran to end and reverse all transparency-reducing measures and to ensure prompt, comprehensive cooperation with the IAEA," said the foreign ministers of the three countries in a joint letter.

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fek / dpa / AFP

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2021-02-23

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