According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, Iran has again increased its rate of production of uranium enriched up to 60% at its Natanz and Fordow facilities. That is the level of purity close to weapons grade. In mid-2023, Iran had slowed its enrichment production. Now that slow-down has been reversed.
A joint statement by the Governments of the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom said, “These findings represent a backwards step by Iran and will result in Iran tripling its monthly production rate of uranium enriched up to 60%.”
The reversal by Iran of its previous output reduction, comes as its proxies in the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah, militia in Iraq and Syria, as well as Houthi militants, are engaging in attacks on Israel, U.S. forces, and international shipping.
"Iran’s nuclear escalation is all the more concerning at a time when Iran-backed proxies continue their dangerous and destabilizing activities in the region, including the recent deadly drone attack and other attempted attacks in Iraq and Syria and the Houthi attacks against commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea," said a White House National Security Council spokesperson.
In their joint statement about the IAEA’s findings, the U.S., France, Germany, and the United Kingdom said, “The production of high-enriched uranium by Iran has no credible civilian justification and the reported production at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant and the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant carries significant proliferation-related risks. We also take note of Iran’s decision to revert to the same cascade configuration as the one discovered by the IAEA in Fordow earlier this year. Iran’s delay in declaring this change in January 2023 cast serious doubts on Iran’s willingness to cooperate with the IAEA in full transparency. These decisions demonstrate Iran’s lack of good will towards de-escalation and represent reckless behavior in a tense regional context.”
The four countries urged Iran to reverse the steps it has taken and de-escalate its nuclear program. They called on Iran to “fully cooperate with the IAEA to enable it to provide assurances that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful, and to re-designate the inspectors [Iran] suspended in September 2023.
“We remain committed to a diplomatic solution,” the four countries declared, “and reaffirm our determination that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon.”
