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Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, speaks to journalists attending a weeklong seminar at the agency in Vienna, Austria, May 28, 2025
IRAN has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, a confidential report by the United Nations nuclear watchdog has said.
In a separate report, the agency called on Tehran to urgently change course and comply with its years-long investigation.
The report, released at the weekend, by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency says that as of May 17, Iran has amassed 900.8 pounds of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent.
This material is a short, technical step away from reaching weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent, the amount of which stockpiled is 605.8 pounds, according to a February report.
The IAEA report raised a stern warning, saying that Iran is now “the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce such material” — something the agency said was of “serious concern.”
The report also estimated that as of May 17, Iran’s overall stockpile of enriched uranium — which includes uranium enriched to lower levels — stood at 20,387.4 pounds.
Iran has insisted its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only, but IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi has warned that Tehran has enough uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels to make several nuclear bombs if it chose to do so.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran said in a joint statement that the IAEA report was based on “unreliable and differing information sources” and accused it of being biased, unprofessional and lacking crucial, updated information.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran expresses its disappointment about the report, which was prepared by imposing pressure on the agency for political purposes, and expresses its obvious objection about its content,” the statement read.
The statement reiterated that the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a religious decree that nuclear weapons would not be part of the country’s defence arsenal.
But Iran stressed that, under international law, the country has a right to a peaceful nuclear programme, including uranium enrichment.
