VIENNA: Iran boosted its sensitive stockpile of highly enriched uranium just before a 12-day war with Israel broke out, a confidential report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) seen by AFP on Wednesday showed.
The UN nuclear watchdog’s quarterly report said that Iran has an estimated 440.9 kilogrammes enriched to up to 60 percent as of 13 June, up by 32.3 kilogrammes since 17 May.
On Wednesday, the UN nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that Iran’s decision to suspend cooperation with the agency is “deeply regrettable” after the Israel-Iran war and urged a speedy resumption of inspections.
“The withdrawal of all agency inspectors from Iran because of safety concerns from the military attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities was necessary given the overall security situation. Iran’s subsequent decision to suspend cooperation with the agency is deeply regrettable,” the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in the confidential report.
CHINESE SUPPORT
Amid the ongoing tensions over the Iranian nuclear programme, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday that China supported Iran’s right to civilian nuclear energy and opposed the use of force to resolve differences.
Read more: China reassures Iran of supporting right to civilian nuclear energy
“The use of force is not the right way to resolve differences. Communication and dialogue are the right path to achieving lasting peace,” Xi told Pezeshkian during talks in Beijing.
China “respects Iran’s rights to peaceful use of nuclear energy” and seeks a solution to the Iranian nuclear issue “that takes into account the legitimate concerns of all parties”, he said.
The statement came as France, Britain and Germany last week triggered a mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran for failing to comply with commitments over its nuclear programme.
The three countries notified the UN Security Council that they “believe Iran to be in significant non-performance of its commitments” under a 2015 nuclear deal.