Iran will allow closer monitoring of a controversial uranium facility after agreeing to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conduct more frequent and intensive monitoring, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on Thursday.
Grossi had called for this after Tehran began significantly increasing production capacity for near-weapon-grade uranium at its underground facility in Fordo in early December.
The foreign ministries of Germany, France and the United Kingdom this week jointly called on Tehran to reverse moves toward expanding uranium enrichment “and immediately halt its nuclear escalation.”
Iran already produces uranium with a purity of 60%. Many countries are concerned because such material could be enriched to 90% of weapons grade in a short time.
According to information from the Vienna IAEA, Iran plans to increase its monthly production capacity for 60% uranium from 4.7 kilograms to more than 34 kilograms. Experts say that between 40 and 50 kilograms of this material would be needed for a nuclear weapon.
The government in Tehran claims it is not pursuing nuclear weapons. However, against the backdrop of military tensions with Israel, Iran’s nuclear doctrine is increasingly openly discussed.
The possibility of withdrawing from the international non-proliferation treaty is on the table if strict UN sanctions are reintroduced.
