Iran Has Enough Highly Enriched Uranium For Six Nuclear Weapons

A UN report said Tehran had amassed around 275kg of 60% highly enriched uranium as of 8 February

- Laurence Norman

Iran has sharply increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in recent weeks, according to a confidential United Nations report, as Tehran amasses a critical raw material for atomic weapons.

The increase in Iran's holdings of uranium enriched to 60%, or nearly weapons grade, gives it enough to produce six nuclear weapons.

Iran is now producing enough fissile material in a month for one nuclear weapon, according to the report, which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Tehran's strides come as the country has indicated an openness to negotiating with the U.S. on limits to its nuclear ambitions. The Trump administration has said it would return to a policy of "maximum pressure" on Iran but that it also wants to negotiate a nuclear deal.

Still, there hasn't been significant direct contact between the two sides since President Trump took office. And Iran has said it won't negotiate directly with Washington while under maximum pressure sanctions.

In an interview Wednesday, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, warned that as Iran's nuclear activities advance, "the problem becomes bigger, not smaller," and urged Tehran and Washington to engage. "It is problematic that we are not moving" on talks, he said. "We believe it is necessary to move to action."

The U.N. report said Tehran had amassed around 275 kilograms of 60% highly enriched uranium as of Feb. 8, up from 182 kilograms in late October. That's a 50% jump in 15 weeks. The fuel could be converted to 90% weapons-grade material in days.