Iran has significantly increased its stock of enriched uranium in recent months, continuing its nuclear escalation even though it denies wanting to acquire the bomb, according to a confidential report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), responsible for verifying the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program, consulted Monday by AFP.
Stocks amounted to 5,525.5 kg as of February 10 (compared to 4,486.8 kg at the end of October), more than 27 times the limit authorized by the 2015 international agreement governing Tehran's atomic activities in exchange for a lifting of international sanctions.
“Growing concerns”
The IAEA expresses its "growing concerns" about Iran's capacity to produce nuclear weapons.
“Iran is making public declarations about its technical capabilities, which reinforces concerns,” notes Director General Rafael Grossi, who once again calls on Tehran to “cooperate fully”.
This alert is not the first.
A year ago, the AEIA confirmed having detected uranium particles enriched to 83.7% in Iran, just below the 90% needed to produce an atomic bomb, without being able to say whether the threshold had been reached accidentally. or voluntarily.
France had denounced a “very worrying trajectory” from Tehran.