Tehran nearing nuclear weapon capability, says new confidential report

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

IRAN’S HAS EXPANDED ITS STOCKPILE OF URANIUM ENRICHED TO NEAR NUCLEAR-WEAPON CAPABILITIES.

THE REVELATIONS COMING IN A NEW CONFIDENTIAL REPORT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY.

THE FINDINGS SHOW AS OF MAY 11TH, IRAN INCREASED ITS ENRICHED URANIUM BY MORE THAN 45 POUNDS SINCE THE IAEA’S LAST REPORT IN FEBRUARY.

THE AGENCY WARNS THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC HAS STOCKPILED ENOUGH ENRICHED URANIUM TO MAKE “SEVERAL NUCLEAR BOMBS.” THE 60 PERCENT ENRICHED URANIUM IRAN HOLDS COULD BE CONVERTED TO FULL WEAPONS GRADE IN A MATTER OF DAYS, U.S. OFFICIALS SAID.

IRAN HAS CLAIMED ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM ISN’T MEANT FOR WEAPONS. 

TENSIONS HAVE GROWN BETWEEN IRAN AND THE IAEA SINCE 2018, THE YEAR FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP WITHDREW THE U.S. FROM TEHRAN’S NUCLEAR DEAL.

UNDER THE 2015 NUCLEAR DEAL TEHRAN AGREED TO LIMIT ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM IN EXCHANGE FOR LIFTED SANCTIONS AND U.N. INSPECTORS WERE ABLE TO VISIT IRAN’S NUCLEAR SITES.

SINCE THEN, INSPECTORS HAVE BEEN BANNED FROM CHECKING IN ON IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM.

BUT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS TRIED TO STRENGTHEN DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH IRAN, IN LINE WITH OBAMA-ERA POLICY. 

NOW REPORTS THAT THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE U.S.’ EUROPEAN ALLIES ARE AT ODDS OVER HOW TO HANDLE THE LATEST REVELATIONS. 

E-U NATIONS, LED BY FRANCE AND THE U.K. WANT TO CENSURE IRAN.
DIPLOMATS TELLING THE WALL STREET JOURNAL THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS OPPOSING CENSURE EFFORTS, INSTEAD OPTING SO PRESSURE IRAN WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF FUTURE SANCTIONS. 

U-S OFFICIALS DENIED THE JOURNAL’S REPORT THAT THE U.S. WAS LOBBYING TO STOP THE EU’S CENSURE EFFORTS. 

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM– YOU CAN CLICK ON THIS STORY ON SAN-DOT-COM AND DOWNLOAD THE APP FOR THE LATEST UPDATES.