Thursday’s quarterly report from the IAEA once again details Iran’s stockpile of uranium. As usual, the watchdog overstated the seriousness of the enrichment of uranium for civilian use.
Iran’s highest enriched uranium, at 60%, increased just 6 kg from last quarter, to a total of 62.3 kg. 60% is considered highly enriched, but weapons-grade is considered over 90%.
This has been a recurring theme for years. Iran has never even attempted to enrich to weapons-grade, but whatever happens to be the highest level they do enrich to is then spun as a risk.
The only reason Iran even enriches to that level is as a diplomatic pressure when trying to reach a new deal to restore the JCPOA nuclear deal. The P5+1 nations wanted enrichment at a lower level, but that was conditioned on a deal that was never honored by the United States.
Iran has made on-again, off-again efforts to try to improve relations with the IAEA, and even announced intentions to hold more meetings over the past week.
Though some of these meetings seemingly go well, Iran gets little from them, as the next quarterly report has the IAEA right back to fear-mongering the world about their civilian program, despite its lack of a proliferation threat. The IAEA is satisfying the US by continuing to make an issue of Iran’s enrichment, but plainly disincentivizing cooperation by never giving Iran credit for the concessions they do make.
There are things the IAEA really wants, like access to Iranian sites and a new monitoring deal to replace one that expired. Iran has shown willingness to provide both, but only in the context of a restored JCPOA. Though the IAEA has a clear path to get what they want, the deal needs P5+1 support, and the more the IAEA keeps them happy, the more they undercut the deal with reports like these.
Rafael Grossi knows who the paymaster is; and, doing his best, above & beyond, to please.
Everything points to an attack on Iran. Russia will be too busy to help. China’s ties are not as great. U.S., U.K., Israel, SA will do it.
Yes, but then what?
The resort to war was settled when Netanyahoo returned to power.
The resort to war always must face the question of “then what.” Generally speaking, they don’t have an answer apart from dreams of a short victorious war that magically resolves everything to their fantasy world.
Given the current political unrest in Iran, the US will not press for return to the JCPOA agreement.
There is no IAEA. There is only the US. The “international” organization does what the US government tells it to do.
Iran listen. Expel IAEA . It will be a good act compared to evil expulsion of Arab by rabbi from Jerusalem where US and UK plan to build their embassies.
Because it is a NATO dominated institution.
There are many unintended consequences to US pushback against multipolarity. Rather primitive pushback, out of touch woth the modern world.
There is a delusional mantra setting in — and it is bipartisan: US and NATO have to run the world, It is predetermined. Resistance is futile, Yet, as the percrption of our megalomanic goals crashes against reality — it is increasingly based on threats. Weaponizing so called international organizatiins, weaponizing dollar, international finance, weaponizing international banks, trade, and threat or use of violence by proxy.
Iran is just another case of the same global pattern.
Well stated Bianca, the handwriting is on the wall. Repetition seems to be a hallmark of our FP.