U.N. report: Uranium particles enriched to 83.7% found in Iran

VIENNA — Inspectors from the United Nations nuclear watchdog found uranium particles enriched up to 83.7 percent in Iran’s underground Fordo nuclear site, a report seen Tuesday by The Associated Press said.

The confidential quarterly report by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency distributed to member states likely will raise tensions further between Iran and the West over its program. That’s even as Tehran already faces internal unrest after months of protests and Western anger over sending bomb-carrying drones to Russia for its war on Ukraine.

The IAEA report only speaks about “particles,” suggesting that Iran isn’t building a stockpile of uranium enriched above 60 percent — the level it has been enriching at for some time.

The IAEA report described inspectors discovering on Jan. 21 that two cascades of IR-6 centrifuges at Iran’s Fordo facility had been configured in a way “substantially different” to what had been previously declared. The IAEA took samples the following day, which showed particles up to 83.7 percent purity, the report said.

“Iran informed the agency that ‘unintended fluctuations’ in enrichment levels may have occurred during the transition period,” the IAEA report said. “Discussions between the agency and Iran to clarify the matter are ongoing.”

Iran’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to questions regarding the report. The IAEA report said that it would “further increase the frequency and intensity of agency verification activities” at Fordo after the discovery.

Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal limited Tehran’s uranium stockpile to 661 pounds and enrichment to 3.67 percent — enough to fuel a nuclear power plant. The U.S.’ unilateral withdrawal from the accord in 2018 set in motion a series of attacks and escalations by Tehran over its program.

Iran has been producing uranium enriched to 60 percent purity — a level for which nonproliferation experts already say Tehran has no civilian use. The IAEA report put Iran’s uranium stockpile as of Feb. 12 at some 8,289 pounds — an increase of 192 pounds since its last quarterly report in November. Of that, 192 pounds is enriched up to 60 percent purity.

Uranium at nearly 84 percent is almost at weapons-grade levels of 90 percent — meaning any stockpile of that material could be quickly used to produce an atomic bomb if Iran chooses.