U.N. Nuclear Watchdog Has ‘Serious Concern’ About Iran’s Rapidly Growing Uranium Stockpile

Iran’s accumulation of highly enriched uranium needed to develop a nuclear weapon has increased dramatically in the past three months and is of “serious concern,” according to confidential reports from the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency.

The reports, obtained by U.S. News, were prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency for its June 9 Board of Governors meeting. One of them, requested by board members, seeks to detail Iran’s compliance with international agreements requiring it to account for its stockpile of nuclear materials. The document says that Iran in February had produced 600 pounds of uranium enriched to 60%, called highly enriched uranium. By May, it had produced 900 pounds.

Though the uranium is not weapons grade, it is a short step to the 90% threshold necessary for a nuclear weapon. The Associated Press reported that approximately 92 pounds of 60% enriched uranium is theoretically enough to produce one atomic bomb, if enriched further to 90% – meaning Iran could shortly have enough for 10 such weapons.

“The significantly increased production and accumulation of highly enriched uranium by Iran, the only non-nuclear-weapon State to produce such nuclear material, is of serious concern,” the IAEA said in its main report.