Iran
has moved to eliminate virtually all of its most sensitive stockpile of
enriched uranium gas under a landmark nuclear deal with six world
powers last year, an IAEA report on the interim accord's implementation
showed on Friday.
The monthly update by the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has a key role in ensuring that Iran lives up to its part of the Nov. 24 agreement, showed that Iran was meeting its commitments to curb its disputed atomic activities.
The confidential report was obtained by Reuters shortly after it was issued to IAEA member states.
It said since the six-month agreement took effect on Jan. 20, Iran had either diluted to a lower enrichment level or fed for conversion into a less proliferation-sensitive oxide form about 97 percent of its holding of uranium gas refined to a fissile concentration of 20 percent.
That stockpile has been of a particular concern for the West as the enrichment purity represents a relatively short technical step away from that required for nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, rejecting accusations it has been seeking to develop an atomic bomb capability.
Last year's preliminary agreement with the powers — the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia — was designed to buy time for negotiations on a long-term accord to end the decade-old dispute over Iran's nuclear program.
A fifth round of those talks was held in Vienna this week, with wide differences remaining over the permissible future scope of Iran's enrichment program.
The monthly update by the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has a key role in ensuring that Iran lives up to its part of the Nov. 24 agreement, showed that Iran was meeting its commitments to curb its disputed atomic activities.
The confidential report was obtained by Reuters shortly after it was issued to IAEA member states.
It said since the six-month agreement took effect on Jan. 20, Iran had either diluted to a lower enrichment level or fed for conversion into a less proliferation-sensitive oxide form about 97 percent of its holding of uranium gas refined to a fissile concentration of 20 percent.
That stockpile has been of a particular concern for the West as the enrichment purity represents a relatively short technical step away from that required for nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, rejecting accusations it has been seeking to develop an atomic bomb capability.
Last year's preliminary agreement with the powers — the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia — was designed to buy time for negotiations on a long-term accord to end the decade-old dispute over Iran's nuclear program.
A fifth round of those talks was held in Vienna this week, with wide differences remaining over the permissible future scope of Iran's enrichment program.
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