The United States, France, Germany, and Britain have once again called for full and transparent cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency in a joint statement. The joint statement emphasizes that the Iranian government has no valid non-nuclear justification for producing high-enriched uranium.
According to the French Foreign Ministry, the joint statement, citing the December 26, 2023 report of the International Atomic Energy Agency, emphasizes that Iran has increased its production of enriched uranium by up to 60% between January and June 2023 at the Natanz and Fordow nuclear facilities.
The countries of France, Germany, Britain, and the United States stated in their statement: “We condemn this action as it intensifies Iran’s uninterrupted nuclear program. Iran’s production of high-enriched uranium has no valid non-nuclear justification and the reported production at the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and the experimental fuel enrichment plant entails associated proliferation risks.”
These countries also emphasized that the issue of how to connect the enrichment cascades discovered by the International Atomic Energy Agency at the Fordow nuclear facility earlier this year is still a concern. According to the statement, Iran’s delay in declaring this change in January 2023 raises doubts about its transparent cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
This section contains relevant reference points, placed in (Inner related node field)
The signatory countries of this statement also emphasized that these decisions indicate a lack of good faith by the authorities of the Islamic Republic and show Iran’s reckless behavior in a highly tense regional situation.
These four global powers urged the Islamic Republic to immediately refrain from its current course and to have full and transparent cooperation with the agency.
The joint statement also reiterated that the United States, France, Germany, and Britain remain committed to advancing diplomatic solutions to prevent the Islamic Republic from acquiring nuclear weapons.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said that Iran has enough enriched uranium up to 60% to make three nuclear bombs. This is while the Islamic Republic of Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s theoretical definition, about 42 kilograms of enriched uranium up to 60%, is an amount that cannot be dismissed as making nuclear bombs.
The International Atomic Energy Agency stated that since the slowdown, Iran has been enriching uranium up to 60% at a rate of about three kilograms per month. The report continued to address the member countries, stating, “The agency confirms that from the end of November 2023, Iran’s rate of production of enriched uranium up to 60% has increased to approximately 9 kilograms per month in total.”