Iran plans to significantly increase its production of enriched uranium, says IAEA

The United Nations nuclear watchdog said the speed at which Iran can enrich uranium is “increasingly dramatic.”

“Today (December 6), the agency announces that production capacity increases significantly from the 60 percent of stocks,” said Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in an interview with the Reuters news agency.

He added that this quantity should increase “seven times more” and even more. Previously, the rate was five to seven kg per month.

Grossi’s remarks come after the IAEA confirmed on November 29 that Iran plans to install around 6,000 additional centrifuges to improve uranium enrichment.

According to an AFP report, these centrifuges at the Fordo and Natanz facilities would allow Iran to enrich uranium to levels of up to 5%, exceeding the 3.67% ceiling set by the 2015 nuclear agreement.

Iran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. However, the IAEA stressed that Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich its uranium to a level of up to 60 percent.

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Israel ‘will do everything’ to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons

The IAEA chief’s remarks come weeks after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to do “everything” to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“I will do everything to prevent it from becoming a nuclear (power), I will use all the resources that can be used,” Netanyahu told Israeli television station Channel 14 in an interview on November 28.

The renewed war of words between the West Asian rivals came as the Islamic nation held key nuclear negotiations with European governments on November 29.

Israel is the only nuclear state in the region, although undeclared.

He has long made preventing any rival from matching him his main defense priority.

(With contribution from agencies)