Iran Rejects IAEA Report, Heightening Nuclear Tensions

Iran Rejects IAEA Report on Uranium Stockpile Increase, Raising Nuclear Deal Tensions Tehran, June 1, 2025 – Iran has vehemently rejected a new report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) alleging a substantial increase in its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The IAEA report states that Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% purity has grown by nearly 50% since February, reaching approximately 409 kilograms. This significant increase has raised concerns among Western nations regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions. Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, dismissed the IAEA's findings as politically motivated, claiming the report relied on "fabricated documents provided by Israel." In a statement released on Saturday, he emphasized that Iran's nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes and that the 60% enrichment level is necessary for civilian applications, such as medical radioisotopes and research reactors. "The fact that they say we shouldn't enrich is an attempt to impose their dominance over us," Araghchi stated, highlighting Iran's right to enrich uranium under international law. He also revealed that Oman's Foreign Minister had recently visited Tehran to present elements of a potential US-Iran nuclear deal. The IAEA report comes at a critical juncture, as the US and Iran are exploring the possibility of reviving the 2015 nuclear deal. The increased uranium stockpile adds further complexity to the negotiations, potentially prompting Western nations to seek additional measures to curb Iran's nuclear activities. However, Iranian officials maintain that their enrichment levels remain far below the threshold required for nuclear weapons production.