Israel: 84% enrichment means it’s now or never to stop Iran
Jerusalem PostFeb 20, 2023
Iran's Atomic Energy Organization spokesperson, Behrouz Kamalvandi, on Monday denied claims that the country has enriched uranium to 84% purity, not far below the 90% required to make it weapons-grade.
Bloomberg reported on Sunday that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had detected uranium enriched to 84% purity in the country, adding that inspectors for the nuclear watchdog are now trying to determine whether the development was deliberate or not.
There is not much time left to stop the Iranian nuclear program now that uranium enrichment at 84% purity has been detected — a level only used for weapons production. This news shows that Iran never sought to enrich uranium for civilian use, and that the now dormant nuclear deal — part of a misguided attempt to respond diplomatically to the nation's aggression — only facilitated Tehran becoming a nuclear power. A credible military threat is urgently required to prevent escalation.
Reports that Iran is intentionally producing near weapons-grade uranium are slander and an unfair distortion of the facts. Just because some uranium has tested at 84% purity does not mean that uranium is being intentionally enriched at that level. Iran is committed to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and its safeguards agreement with the IAEA — an organization that should not be politicized.
There is a 48% chance that Iran will possess a nuclear weapon by 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.