Iran 'pressing the gas pedal' on uranium enrichment: Grossi
4 Min Read
The IAEA's chief says that Iran currently possesses roughly 200 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60%, adding that although it would take time to bring online the extra centrifuges, the acceleration was beginning to happen.
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IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi speaks at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21, 2025. (AP)
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday that Iran has stepped up its enrichment of uranium to 60%, adding that Tehran's previous announcement of its acceleration of enrichment was now starting to take effect.
Grossi had stated last month that Iran informed the UN agency last month that it would "dramatically" accelerate its enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity.
Iran has continuously reiterated that its weapons program was peaceful and that it possesses the right to enrich uranium to whatever level it wishes. It has also said that continued unjustified Western pressure and threats against Tehran may lead it to rethink its nuclear doctrine.
Read more: Iran's cooperation tied to others' commitments, FM tells IAEA
"Before it was (producing) more or less seven kilograms (of uranium enriched to up to 60%) per month, now it's above 30 or more than that. So I think this is a clear indication of an acceleration. They are pressing the gas pedal," Grossi told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
According to the IAEA, roughly 42 kg of uranium enriched to that is enough, if enriched more, to produce one nuclear bomb. However, Grossi said that Iran currently possesses roughly 200 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60%, adding that although it would take time to bring online the extra centrifuges, the acceleration was beginning to happen.
"We are going to start seeing steady increases from now," he said.
Grossi has called for diplomacy between Iran and the new Trump administration. During his previous term, Trump pulled the US out of the nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1. Following the E3's constant delays in implementing the deal, Iran took the decision to step up its nuclear enrichment.
"One can gather from the first statements from President Trump and some others in the new administration that there is a disposition, so to speak, to have a conversation and perhaps move into some form of an agreement," he said.
Read more: Third round of Iran-E3 talks serious, constructive: Iran Deputy FM
Kharrazi: Iran's Trump policy to depend on him
In an exclusive interview with Al Mayadeen published in December, Dr. Kamal Kharrazi, the head of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, discussed pivotal regional issues. He addressed questions on the events in Syria, the role of the new government, and the implications of the Syrian regime's fall on the Axis of Resistance.
In the interview, Kharrazi stated that Trump's policies remain unclear but emphasized Iran's readiness for both negotiations and resistance against pressure. "We are prepared to respond depending on the policies they pursue. They previously tried maximum pressure, which ended in failure," he explained.
He stressed patience, saying Iran would wait to see which direction Trump might take before finalizing its approach. "We are prepared for any scenario, but Trump's unpredictable character makes it difficult to anticipate his choices," Kharrazi added.
Questioned about his previous statements to Al Mayadeen in November where he warned that Iran might reassess its nuclear doctrine and whether "the time has come" to do so with Trump's inauguration looming on the horizon, he stressed that Iran opposed nuclear weapons but hinted at potential countermeasures. "If they take steps against us, it's natural for us to respond with proportional measures at the appropriate time," he said, leaving the door open for strategic recalibration.
