Iran is on the verge of developing nuclear weapons

Iran's enrichment of nuclear weapons-grade uranium is progressing steadily. Iran stepped up its activities after talks on improving relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stalled. This information came out in two secret reports of IAEA on Monday.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said that the IAEA is facing several difficult problems in Iran. Iran has been able to take some of the steps it promised in its joint statement last year.

This month, Grossi traveled to Ispahan for talks with Iranian authorities and to strengthen cooperation. But since then their talks have stalled again. Among them, the president of Iran, Ibrahim Raisi, was killed in a helicopter crash.

He urged Iran's new government to continue negotiations.
A draft resolution against Iran was passed a year and a half ago by the Board of Governors of the 35 member countries of the IAEA. It quickly ordered Iran to cooperate with the IAEA investigation. At the time, uranium enrichment was underway at three undeclared facilities in Iran. Iran has since scaled back its uranium enrichment facilities to two.

France and the UK are pushing for a new draft proposal for Iran at next week's board meeting. However, the United States did not support it. Such a step would lead to Iran taking further steps in its uranium enrichment program.

According to the IAEA report, uranium has to be enriched up to 90 percent to make weapons. Iran has already enriched up to 60 percent pure uranium. As of May 11, Iran has 142.1 kg of enriched uranium, 20.6 kg more than last quarter.

Western countries complain that there is no rational reason to enrich uranium to higher levels for civilian purposes. But Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.