Iran slowing down enrichment of weapons-grade uranium: UN nuclear watchdog
IAEA, however, regrets "no progress" on several outstanding issues, including installing additional cameras to monitor Tehran's nuclear programme.
Iran has slowed its enrichment of uranium at nearly weapons-grade levels, a confidential report by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog says.
The UN nuclear watchdog also said in the report that it "regretted" that "no progress" had been made by Iran on several outstanding issues, including installing additional cameras to monitor the country's nuclear programme.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Grossi "requests Iran to work with the agency in earnest and in a sustained way towards the fulfilment of the commitments," the agency said in the confidential report seen by news agencies but yet to be made public.
The confidential report comes as Iran and the United States are negotiating a prisoner swap and the release of billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen in South Korea.
Slowing its enrichment of uranium could serve as another sign that Tehran seeks to lower tensions between it and America after years of tensions since the collapse of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
The report said Iran has 121.6 kilograms (268 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60 percent, a far-slower growth than in previous counts. An IAEA report in May put the stockpile of 60 percent uranium at just over 114 kilograms (250 pounds). It had 87.5 kilograms (192 pounds) in February.
Uranium enriched at 60 percent purity is just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent. Iran has maintained its programme is peaceful, but the IAEA's director-general has warned Tehran has enough enriched uranium for “several” nuclear bombs if it chose to build them.
Iran likely would still need months to build a weapon. US intelligence agencies said in March that Tehran “is not currently undertaking the key nuclear weapons-development activities that would be necessary to produce a testable nuclear device.”
Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal limited Tehran’s uranium stockpile to 300 kilograms (661 pounds) and enrichment to 3.67 percent — enough to fuel a nuclear power plant. The US unilateral withdrawal from the accord in 2018 set in motion a series of attacks and escalations by Tehran over its program.
The IAEA, the West and other countries say Iran had a secret military nuclear programme it abandoned in 2003.