Iran will have sufficient raw materials to produce a nuclear weapon in a few weeks. So says the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The question is no longer if, but when that will be the case, said Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the IAEA. Grossi emphasizes that Iran will then need even more time to make a nuclear weapon with uranium.
A week ago, Grossi submitted a non-public report to IAEA member states that Iran had enriched about 43 kilograms of uranium to a purity of 60 percent. According to a senior diplomat, about 50 kilograms would be enough for a warhead when the material is further enriched to 90 percent.
The IAEA Board of Governors, meeting this week in Vienna, will also address Tehran’s refusal to clarify past covert nuclear activities.
The IAEA wants more explanation about technical equipment “relevant for non-peaceful purposes”.
The enrichment of uranium and the lack of cooperation from Tehran put further pressure on the particularly difficult negotiations to renew the 2015 nuclear deal. Renewed restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program are close to being negotiated, but Washington and Tehran are still at loggerheads over the lifting of US sanctions.
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