UN nuclear chief calls Iran’s increased uranium enrichment ‘very worrisome’

Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), expressed serious concerns about Iran’s decision to significantly ramp up its production of highly enriched uranium, calling it "very worrisome."

In an interview with the BBC, Grossi explained that Iran is expanding its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60%, a purity level just below what is required for a nuclear weapon, News.Az reports.

Grossi said it was "no secret" some politicians in Iran were calling for the development of a nuclear weapon - but after holding talks in Tehran in recent weeks, he said that "doesn't seem to be the path of choice" by the current leadership.

Grossi was speaking on the margins of the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain run by the London-based think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

He warned Israel against attacking Iranian nuclear facilities, saying the consequences would be "very, very serious indeed" in terms of Tehran's retaliation and the potential spread of radiation.

He also said it was "extremely concerning" that more countries were thinking of acquiring nuclear weapons and that the public conversation about their use had become "normalised".

In a report to IAEA governors on Friday, Grossi said his inspectors had confirmed Iran was feeding more partially enriched uranium into the cascades of two centrifuges at its Fordow nuclear plant south of Tehran.

"The facility's updated design information showed that the effect of this change would be to significantly increase the rate of production of UF6 (uranium) enriched up to 60%," the report said. It assessed the facility would produce 34kg (75lb) of 60% uranium per month compared previously with 4.7kg.

The IAEA had demanded further "safeguard measures" at Fordow "as a matter of urgency to enable the agency to provide timely and technically credible assurances that the facility is not being misused to produce uranium of an enrichment level higher than that declared by Iran, and that there is no diversion of declared nuclear material".

Iran denies having a military nuclear programme. But Grossi told the BBC its nuclear energy facilities had increased over the last decade.

"They have a nuclear programme that has grown, has spawned in every possible direction.

"The Iran of 2015 has nothing to do with Iran of 2025. Iran is starting production of 60% [uranium] at a much higher level of production, which means they will have the amounts necessary - if they so choose - to have a nuclear device in a much faster way. So we see an escalation in this regard, which is very worrisome."

News.Az