Iran agrees to stricter nuclear monitoring as US raises concerns
After a report claimed Iran has been significantly increasing its production of highly enriched uranium, the country reportedly agreed to comply with stricter monitoring by the UN's nuclear watchdog.
Iran has agreed to allow increased monitoring of its Fordow nuclear site by the International Atomic Energy Agency, after the agency reported last Friday that Iran had rapidly upped the pace of its production of 60% enriched uranium at Fordow.
The IAEA’s confidential report said that “Iran agreed to the Agency’s request to increase the frequency and intensity of the implementation of safeguards at Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant and is facilitating the implementation of this strengthened safeguards approach,” according to Reuters.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reported to the IAEA Board of Governors last Friday that Tehran could generate as much as 34 kilograms (75 pounds) of 60% enriched uranium, just a step away from nuclear weapons-grade levels, per month.
That would mark a sharp increase from what the agency previously estimated as roughly 10 pounds (4.7k grams) per month. The Iranian government has still not made a decision to pursue the manufacture of a nuclear weapon, a US intelligence report released last week said.
