Iran continues to enrich uranium well beyond its needs for commercial nuclear use despite U.N. pressure to stop, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said Monday, adding that he wanted to visit Tehran next month for the first time in a year to end the "drifting apart."
Speaking after he briefed EU foreign ministers on the subject, the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said that while the pace of uranium enrichment had slowed slightly since the end of last year, Iran was still enriching at an elevated rate of around 7 kg of uranium per month to 60% purity.
Enrichment to 60% brings uranium close to weapons grade, and is not necessary for commercial use in nuclear power production. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons but no other state has enriched to that level without producing them.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.