IAEA says Iran ran undeclared nuclear program using unreported material

Iran operated a covert nuclear program using undeclared material at three sites under investigation, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a confidential report shared with member states ahead of its board meeting in June.

“These three locations, and other possible related locations, were part of an undeclared structured nuclear program carried out by Iran until the early 2000s,” the report said, adding that “some activities used undeclared nuclear material.”

The report comes at a delicate moment, as Tehran and Washington have engaged in multiple rounds of negotiations in recent weeks over a potential nuclear agreement that US President Donald Trump is seeking to finalize.

The document, obtained by Reuters, was prepared following a November request by the IAEA’s Board of Governors.

UN nuclear agency flags sharp rise in Iran’s high-level uranium

The IAEA, in a separate report sent to member states on Saturday, said a sharp rise in Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. As of May 17, Iran held 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent, an increase of 133.8 kilograms since February. Material enriched to that level is a short technical step from weapons-grade purity.

“Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state enriching to this level,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has repeatedly said. On Saturday, he again urged Iran to cooperate “fully and effectively with the agency.”

Both IAEA reports said Iran’s high-level enrichment was “of serious concern,” noting it is the only country enriching to that level without having nuclear weapons.

Western powers move toward censure

Western governments are also preparing a resolution that would formally declare Iran in breach of its non-proliferation commitments for the first time since 2005. Reuters cited diplomats on Friday as saying the United States will lead the drafting of the motion, to be submitted at the board’s quarterly meeting beginning June 9.

“We expect the comprehensive report to be tough, but there were already no doubts over Iran not keeping its non-proliferation commitments,” a European official told Reuters.

The last time the IAEA board took such action, in 2005, it led to Iran’s referral to the UN Security Council and triggered a round of international sanctions.