Iran has accelerated its production of uranium for war purposes, reversing a slowdown that had begun in the middle of the year, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Tuesday in a report to its members.
The agency assured that its inspectors verified the acceleration of production since the end of November at the Natanz and Fordow facilities to approximately nine kilograms per month, a considerable increase compared to three kilograms per month in June, which represents a return to the previous production levels.
The agency’s director, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said in the report that Iran “in recent weeks has increased its production of highly enriched uranium, reversing the reduction in production that had begun in mid-2023.”
Iran had previously slowed its enrichment of uranium to 60% purity. Uranium at 60% purity is only one small technical step away from being 90% warfighting grade.
Uranium enrichment means increasing the percentage of uranium-235, the isotope that can be used for nuclear fission.
