The United States on Tuesday said Iran's accelerating nuclear program is imperiling world peace and either aims to get Tehran closer to a bomb or extort the world to extract concessions.
The remarks to the United Nations nuclear watchdog underscore a harder new line by the administration of US President Donald Trump, which has vowed to bar Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
They came in the form of a statement responding to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi's report to the IAEA board the previous day documenting a sharp rise in Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
"It underscores the existential threat that Iran’s nuclear program poses to the international community," interim US envoy to international organizations in Vienna Howard Solomon said in a statement.
"It appears Iran is attempting either to extort the international community or hedge closer toward nuclear weapons. I will be plain and simple: this is a very dangerous strategy for Iran. We will not be extorted."
Tehran denies seeking a nuclear weapon and has branded suspicions over its intentions as a way for outside powers to meddle in internal affairs.
Grossi reported that Iran's uranium stock refined to up to 60% purity grew by 92.5 kilograms (kg) in the past quarter to 274.8 kg. According to an IAEA yardstick, the amount is enough in principle for six nuclear bombs if enriched further.
“Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon State enriching to this level, causing me serious concern,” he said.
The European Union on Tuesday also urged Iran to immediately halt and reverse its accelerating nuclear program.
“In light of these multiple and grave concerns, we strongly urge Iran to reverse its alarming nuclear trajectory and return to its nuclear non-proliferation commitments without further delay,” the EU said in a statement.
It represented one of the bloc's strongest statements yet on Iran's nuclear program.
Beyond uranium enrichment, Iran’s refusal to allow key verification and monitoring activities under a now defunct 2015 nuclear deal has deepened unease over Iran's intentions.
Trump has mooted a deal over the program but Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has ruled out talks, setting the two sides up for further confrontation.
“If Iran wants a deal, the path starts with ceasing its escalatory nuclear activities, fulfilling its safeguards obligations, building international confidence, and allowing the Agency to provide assurance that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful," Solomon added.
