UN Watchdog Says Iran’s Stockpile Of Low-Enriched Uranium Exceeds Limits Set By Nuclear Deal

The International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA says Iran continues to increase its stockpile of low-enriched uranium far beyond the limits agreed in a nuclear deal with world powers and to enrich it to a greater purity than allowed.

U.N.’s atomic watchdog agency reported in a confidential document distributed to member countries that Iran as of Nov. 2 had a stockpile of 2,442.9 kilograms of low-enriched uranium, up from 2,105.4 kilograms reported on Aug. 25.

The IAEA reported that Iran has also been continuing to enrich uranium to a purity of up to 4.5%, higher than the 3.67% allowed under the deal.

Iran has openly announced all violations of the nuclear deal in advance, which have followed the decision by the U.S. to pull out unilaterally in 2018.

The nuclear deal signed in 2015 with the United States, Germany, France, Britain, China and Russia, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, allows Iran only to keep a stockpile of 202.8 kilograms.

Since the U.S. withdrawal and imposition of new sanctions, Tehran has been putting pressure on the remaining parties with the violations to come up with new ways to offset the economy-crippling actions by Washington.