The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has raised alarm over the Iranian regime’s expanding nuclear program, revealing that Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60% U-235 has reached 275 kg, a sharp increase from 182 kg in the previous quarter. Speaking before the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna, Grossi emphasized that “Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon State enriching to this level, causing me serious concern.”
The latest IAEA assessment underscores the increasing proximity of Iran’s nuclear material to weapons-grade levels. “This amount of uranium could quickly be enriched to 90%,” Grossi warned, referring to the level necessary for nuclear weapons production. Western intelligence agencies estimate that if the current pace of enrichment continues, Iran could produce a nuclear bomb within a month.
Grossi further noted that four years have passed since Iran ceased implementing its nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), including suspending the Additional Protocol that allowed for enhanced inspections. “It is also four years since the Agency was able to conduct complementary access in Iran,” he stated, highlighting the growing opacity of Iran’s nuclear activities.
#Iranian Regime’s Contradictory Responses to @iaeaorg Resolution Reveal Regime’s Fear of Accountabilityhttps://t.co/OUIiTCXCaP
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) November 23, 2024
The IAEA Director General expressed concern over unresolved nuclear safeguards issues, stating that Iran’s claim of full compliance is contradicted by the discovery of “uranium particles of anthropogenic origin at undeclared locations in Iran.” This discovery suggests the presence of covert nuclear activities beyond what Tehran has officially disclosed.
“The Agency needs to know the current location(s) of the nuclear material and/or of contaminated equipment involved,” Grossi stressed. Additionally, he pointed to discrepancies in the uranium material balance related to the regime’s past uranium metal production experiments at the Jaber Ibn Hayan Multipurpose Laboratory, which remain unexplained.
Grossi also noted that Tehran has still not implemented modified Code 3.1, which is a legal obligation, further complicating efforts to ensure that its nuclear program remains peaceful.
Despite multiple warnings and calls for transparency, the clerical regime in Iran has refused to approve the designation of four additional experienced IAEA inspectors. Grossi stressed: “There has been no significant progress towards implementing the Joint Statement of 4 March 2023. I call upon Iran urgently to implement the Joint Statement through serious engagement.”
In light of @iaeaorg BoG resolution on the #Iranian regime's misconduct and failure to cooperate with the @UN watchdog, it's crucial to revisit over 3 decades of secretive activities and the NCRI's constant efforts to prevent a nuclear-armed pariah state.https://t.co/EiJenAsaiU https://t.co/lvD6qbumiY pic.twitter.com/qcXZLwOPO7
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) June 5, 2024
In response to these findings, international concerns over the Iranian regime’s nuclear ambitions are intensifying. The IAEA’s latest report follows last week’s IAEA assessment that Tehran’s enriched uranium stockpile could be sufficient to produce six nuclear bombs, a revelation that has escalated fears of regional and global security threats.
The Iranian regime’s nuclear program has long been a subject of international scrutiny. For decades, Tehran leveraged Western appeasement policies to advance its nuclear ambitions while evading full accountability. Since June 1991, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) has exposed Tehran’s secret nuclear weapons program, shifting global attention to Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Henceforth, the regime’s nuclear program has been regarded as a major threat to international security, prompting sanctions, diplomatic confrontations, and ongoing monitoring by the IAEA and the United Nations.
With Tehran accelerating its uranium enrichment and obstructing international oversight, the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East has never been higher. The latest revelations by the IAEA signal an urgent need for decisive action by world powers to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons capabilities.
As Grossi warned in his address: “The outstanding safeguards issues need to be resolved for the Agency to be in a position to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.” Whether Iran will cooperate remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the clock is ticking.