Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Tuesday, May 13, 2025

IAEA inspectors find uranium particles enriched to 83.7% in Iran

IAEA inspectors find uranium particles enriched to 83.7% in Iran

The global nuclear watchdog has found uranium particles enriched to 83.7% purity — very close to weapons grade — at Iran’s underground Fordo site.
In a report seen by the BBC, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it was having discussions with Iran “to clarify the matter”.

Iran has said “unintended fluctuations” in enrichment levels may have occurred. It has been openly enriching uranium to 60% purity for two years in breach of a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

The agreement, which was aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, saw the country limit its nuclear activities and allow monitoring by the IAEA’s inspectors in return for relief from crippling economic sanctions.

However, it has been close to collapse since then US-President Donald Trump pulled out unilaterally and reinstated sanctions in 2018 and Iran retaliated by increasingly breaching the restrictions.

Joe Biden’s administration wants to rejoin the deal if Iran returns to compliance, but indirect negotiations in Vienna, where the IAEA is based, have been stalled for a year.

Uranium is a naturally-occurring element that can have nuclear-related uses once it has been refined, or enriched. This is achieved by using centrifuges — machines that spin at supersonic speeds — to separate out the most suitable isotope for nuclear fission, called U-235.

Low-enriched uranium, which typically has a 3-5% concentration of U-235, can be used to produce fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.

Highly enriched uranium has a purity of 20% or more and is used in research reactors. Weapons-grade uranium is 90% enriched or more.

Under the nuclear deal, Iran agreed not to enrich uranium beyond the 3.67% purity and to halt enrichment altogether at Fordo Fuel Enrichment Plant.

After the US reinstated sanctions, it first resumed enrichment to 20% and then started producing smaller quantities of 60%-enriched material too — a significantly higher level than it had reached before.

The IAEA’s latest quarterly report to member states said inspectors found the 83.7%-enriched uranium particles in samples taken at Fordo in late January.

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran played down the significance of the discovery and said he expected it to be “put to rest” soon.

Mohammad Eslami told reporters on Wednesday that the sample was “just a particle that cannot even be seen with a microscope” and insisted that “the important thing is the volume of product stored” after enrichment, according to the official Irna news agency.

Iran insists that its nuclear activities are entirely peaceful, but experts have warned that the breaches have theoretically reduced the time it would take the country to acquire enough weapons-grade uranium for one bomb if it decided to do so.

Top US defense department official Colin Kahl told a Congressional committee hearing on Tuesday that this so-called “breakout time” had been shortened from 12 months to “about 12 days”.

Experts estimate that “weaponization” — manufacturing a nuclear warhead for a missile — would still take another one to two years.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
Senate Democrats Move to Censure Trump Over Qatar Jet Gift
Hamas Releases Last Living US Hostage from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
India and Pakistan Agreement on Ceasefire Amid Ongoing Tensions
Trump's Upcoming Middle East Trip Excludes Israel, Raising Concerns Among Israeli Officials
Kurdistan Workers Party Announces Dissolution Amid Ongoing Conflict Resolution Efforts
Trump's Upcoming Visit to Gulf Nations: Investment and Security at the Forefront
Cardinal Robert Prevost Elected as Pope Leo XIV, Marking a Historic Papacy
India-Pakistan conflict may be first test for Chinese military tech
Bill Gates Announces Plan to Wind Down Philanthropic Foundation and Disperse Wealth
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Warren Buffett to Step Down as Berkshire CEO After Nearly 60 Years
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Pope Francis Laid to Rest in Rome as World Leaders Attend Funeral
Not Child’s Play: How Competitive Gaming Became a Global Economic Empire
California Surpasses Japan to Become the World’s Fourth-Largest Economy
Former U.S. Congressman George Santos sentenced to eighty-seven months for wide-ranging fraud
Israel Considers Limited Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Facilities Amid Diplomatic Efforts
Saudi Arabia Offers Max Verstappen Unprecedented Deal to Join Aston Martin
Global Pistachio Shortage Amid Rising Demand for 'Dubai Chocolate'
IMF Predicts No Global Recession Amid Trade Tensions
Worldwide Markets Decline as U.S.-China Trade Frictions Intensify
OpenAI Lands Unprecedented $40 Billion Investment
Removing the Political Adversary is Dismantling What's Remaining of Turkey's Economy.
Ex-FIFA President and French Football Icon Acquitted of Corruption Allegations
White House Investigates Security Breach After Journalist Accidentally Added to Secret Yemen Strike Chat
Volunteers in Jeddah Ensure No One Goes Hungry During Ramadan Iftar
New Restaurant Opens in Makkah's Iconic Clock Tower for Ramadan Iftar
Saudi Arabia's Project Masam Removes 552 Houthi Mines in Yemen
Saudi Arabia Fines Over 400 Foreign Trucks for Regulatory Violations
Saudi National Campaign for Charitable Work Reports Significant Donations in Ramadan
Historic Al-Hosn Al-Asfal Mosque Restored in Asir as Part of National Heritage Initiative
KSrelief Expands Humanitarian Efforts in Syria, Sudan, and Lebanon
Saudi Arabia Advocates for Global Water Cooperation at Forum
Madinah Governor Tours Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah
Saudi Foreign Minister in Cairo to Lead Meeting on Gaza Developments
Recognition of Saudi and Pakistani Entrepreneurs at Riyadh Ceremony
UAE Announces $1.4 Trillion Investment Plan in the United States
Saudi Arabia Innovates in Soil Quality and Water Conservation
Governor of Taif Engages with Rose and Aromatic Plants Cooperative
Saudi Food and Drug Authority Enhances Preparations for Hajj Season
Saudi Arabia Distributes Aid to Yemen and Romania
Restoration of Historic Al-Qalaah Mosque in Riyadh Underlines Heritage Preservation Efforts
×