The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has levelled grave accusations against Iran, claiming the Islamic Republic enriched uranium to levels approaching weapons-grade material over the past three months, even as nuclear negotiations with the United States enter their sixth round.
The UN nuclear watchdog, in its report dated 17 May, stated that Iran has now amassed 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent purity—just shy of the 90 per cent threshold required for nuclear weapons. It noted that Iran had increased this stockpile by nearly 50 per cent since the previous report in February, with the current enriched uranium totalling 133.8 kilograms.
Additionally, the IAEA alleged Iran had conducted undeclared nuclear activities at three locations, using materials not disclosed to the agency.
Tehran, in a strongly worded response issued Saturday, rejected the report, describing it as “politically motivated” and accusing the IAEA of repeating “baseless accusations”.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, while expressing regret over the publication of this report, which was prepared for political purposes through pressure on the agency, expresses its clear objection to its content,” read a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
It further claimed that the IAEA’s conclusions were based on “forged documents provided by the Zionist regime Israel,” a long-standing adversary that has consistently accused Iran of clandestine nuclear ambitions.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reaffirmed Iran’s position in a televised statement on Saturday, stating, “If the issue is nuclear weapons, yes, we too consider this type of weapon unacceptable.” He emphasised that Iran has always maintained its nuclear programme is geared towards peaceful and civilian applications.
Araghchi also commented on the US-led diplomatic initiative, saying Iran would respond to “elements of a US proposal” conveyed by Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi during his brief visit to Tehran on the same day.
“The proposal would be responded to in line with the principles, national interests, and rights of the people of Iran,” Araghchi said.
Iran and the United States have been engaged in on-again, off-again talks, seeking a possible revival of the 2015 nuclear accord, from which the US withdrew in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump.
Notably absent from these latest rounds of negotiations is Israel, which has been a vocal critic of both the accord and the current efforts to revive it.
While Iran continues to assert that its nuclear programme remains within peaceful bounds, the IAEA’s findings have reignited concerns about Tehran’s intentions and whether its enrichment activities now exceed the scope required for civilian use.
The agency’s latest allegations come amid a broader geopolitical context in which Israel, the United States, and their allies have expressed increasing unease over Iran’s expanding nuclear capabilities, and what they describe as a lack of transparency in its cooperation with international inspectors.
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