Levels of HEU just prior to the creation of nuclear weapons
Concerns over nuclear crisis in the Middle East
It is known that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has found that Iran possesses highly enriched uranium (HEU), which is at a level just before nuclear weapons production. There are concerns that a nuclear crisis in the Middle East could become a reality as Iran accelerates its nuclear development amidst the failure to restore the nuclear deal between the US and Iran.
Bloomberg reported on the 20th, citing multiple diplomatic sources, that IAEA inspectors recently discovered enriched uranium with a concentration of 84% in Iran. Bloomberg News reported, “Inspections need to determine whether Iran intentionally produced highly enriched uranium or was unintentional accumulation.” Normally, highly enriched uranium with a concentration of 85% or more is classified as nuclear weapons, and uranium with a concentration of 90% or more is used in actual nuclear weapons production.
Bloomberg News reported that the IAEA is analyzing the results of such inspection and plans to discuss the Iranian nuclear issue at the board meeting on the 6th of next month. The IAEA tweeted that it was “discussing with Iran about the latest verification results and will report them to the board.” In a speech to the European Parliament last month, IAEA Secretary-General Rafael Grossi warned that “Iran possesses 70 kg of enriched uranium with a concentration of more than 60% and 1,000 kg of uranium with a concentration of 20% or more,” and “enough to make several nuclear bombs.”
Iran denied the report on the same day that ‘highly enriched uranium with a purity of 84% was found in Iran’. According to Reuters, Berouz Kamalbandi, spokesman for the Iranian Atomic Energy Agency, told Iranian state-run IRNA news agency, “We have never tried to enrich (uranium) above 60%.” It is not producing enriched uranium.”
According to the nuclear agreement (JCPOA, Comprehensive Joint Plan) signed in 2015 by Iran and the West, the concentration of uranium that Iran can enrich is limited to 3.67%. However, after former President Donald Trump scrapped the nuclear deal with Iran and restored sanctions, Iran has increased its uranium concentration and accelerated its nuclear development. President Joe Biden, who promoted the restoration of the Iran nuclear agreement immediately after taking office, said “it is dead” about the Iran nuclear agreement during the midterm election campaign in November last year.
Tensions in the Middle East are also expected to rise as it is discovered that Iran actually possesses nuclear weapons-grade highly enriched uranium. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln, who visited Israel last month, that “the policy of the (Israel) new government is to do everything we can to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.” Israel is known to have launched a drone strike on Isfahan, where Iran’s nuclear technology research center is located, on the 28th of last month.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.