IAEA Report Shows Iran Slowing Uranium Enrichment Amid US Talks
A report by the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), shows that Iran has slowed its uranium enrichment rate, possibly signaling a desire to ease longstanding tensions with the US, the Associated Press revealed on Monday. The confidential IAEA report emerges as Iran and the US negotiate a complex prisoner exchange and the unfreezing of billions in Iranian assets held in South Korea.
Iran’s uranium stockpile has grown at its slowest pace since 2021, with 121.6 kilograms (268 pounds) enriched up to 60%, nearing the 90% considered weapons-grade. The slowdown coincides with indirect talks mediated by Oman and Qatar, aiming to resume the stalled nuclear deal negotiations.
Since the Trump Administration pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Tehran has been breaking its terms. Despite this, US President Joe Biden has expressed a willingness to re-enter a pact with Iran. Monitoring Iran’s program has grown increasingly difficult; IAEA officials have been denied visas, and surveillance footage has been restricted since February 2021.
