By Francois Murphy
VIENNA (Reuters) – The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, said on Wednesday he hopes Iran’s move to limit its stockpile of uranium to just below weapons grade will hold, as his agency’s administration comes close to adopt a resolution drafted by the West that could derail this.
Iran has taken steps to stop expanding its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60%, which is close to roughly 90% of weapons grade, the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Tuesday in a report to member states ahead of a meeting of The IAEA Board of Directors, consisting of 35 countries, started on Wednesday.
Grossi said he had brokered the move in Iran last week, but diplomats said it was conditional on Western powers abandoning their push for a resolution criticizing Iran. Britain, France, Germany and the United States are going ahead anyway and formally submitted the text to the Council on Wednesday.
“I think this is a concrete step in the right direction,” Grossi told a news conference, referring to the move towards a freeze, which would limit the amount of uranium Iran has enriched to a maximum of 60%, if it were to be further enriched . for four nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA benchmark.
The resolution follows the last resolution passed in June, which was opposed only by Russia and China, criticizing Iran for its lack of cooperation with the IAEA and calling for Grossi to prepare a “comprehensive” report on its activities of Iran.
Diplomats say the aim is to pressure Iran into negotiating new restrictions on its nuclear activities before those under a 2015 deal with the major powers expire in October, even though that deal unraveled after then-President Donald Trump the United States had pulled out in October. 2018.
It is the IAEA’s last quarterly board meeting before Trump takes office in January, and it remains far from clear whether he would be open to such negotiations.
“I have requested the Islamic Republic of Iran … to stop increasing its stockpile of 60% uranium if possible. And I must say that this request of mine has been accepted by Iran,” Grossi said in an address to the board before his news. conference.
He did not give a direct answer when asked if this meant Iran had made a commitment, and he said Iran’s actions during his talks were not conditional on the lack of a solution.
Iran tends to bristle at criticism of resolutions and has responded in the past by escalating its nuclear activities or reducing IAEA oversight.
