Grossi: The Islamic Republic is Rapidly Advancing Its 'High-Level Enrichment' Program

Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran is rapidly advancing its uranium enrichment program and continues to obstruct the agency's inspections. In an interview with the English-language newspaper 'The National' published on Tuesday, January 16, he said, 'Iran is the only non-nuclear country enriching uranium at such a very high level.' The latest IAEA report indicates that Iran has increased the pace of producing uranium close to weapons-grade. Grossi noted that Iran's insistence on producing highly enriched uranium occurs amidst tensions in the Middle East, with the Gaza war exacerbating hostilities against Israel and its allies. However, the IAEA chief emphasized that the path for dialogue with Iran, which claims its enrichment program is for civilian use, remains open. He stated that the overall picture shows that the Islamic Republic is advancing its nuclear program with ambitious goals. He pointed out that he has no objection to this matter, but stressed that the level of oversight by international agency inspectors must correspond to these activities. Rafael Grossi mentioned that even if Iran's nuclear program is for civilian use, the Islamic Republic has not adhered to its commitments. He noted that Iran has joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and must abide by this commitment. In this interview, Grossi said that the Islamic Republic continues to restrict access to its facilities for some inspectors based on their nationality, which contradicts the nature of the agency's activities. The IAEA announced on Tuesday, December 26, that the Islamic Republic of Iran has once again increased the speed and volume of its production of 60% enriched uranium. According to the agency, the amount of 60% enrichment, which had decreased to 3 kilograms per month, has increased again. The IAEA confirmed that since the end of November, Iran has increased the amount of 60% uranium hexafluoride produced at the Fordow and Natanz sites to about 9 kilograms per month. Uranium enriched to 60% is close to weapons-grade. The four countries of the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom condemned Iran's increase in the speed and volume of 60% enriched uranium production in a joint statement. These countries considered Iran's recent decisions as a sign of its bad faith in de-escalation and described it as reckless behavior in a tense regional situation. They further called for an immediate halt to these actions and for Iran to de-escalate its nuclear program, stating that Iran's full cooperation with the IAEA is essential for ensuring the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program. Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, described the reactions to the agency's report as 'media hype' aimed at 'diverting public attention' from Gaza. The British Defense Minister expressed concern; the enrichment of uranium to 83% by the Islamic Republic has no justification. The statement from the U.S. and three European powers condemned the acceleration of enrichment by the Islamic Republic. The U.S. expressed concern over the IAEA report regarding Iran, and the Islamic Republic's response to the IAEA report was labeled as a tool for 'diversion' from news about Gaza.