Iran’s nuclear enrichment advances as it stonewalls UN, IAEA reports show.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran possesses up to three atomic bombs’ worth of enriched uranium, defined as up to 60% purity. According to classified IAEA findings released on Wednesday, it is still obstructing the organization on essential matters.

Iran continues to enrich at extremely high levels, posing a challenge to the International Atomic Energy Agency and Western nations, who have urged Iran to change its ways despite Iran’s refusal to cooperate on an increasing number of topics.

According to one of the two reports to member states that Reuters saw, Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to as much as 60% increased by 6.7 kg (14.8 pounds) to 128.3 kg (282.9 pounds) since the last report on September 4. That is more than three times the 42 kg (92.6 lb) that the IAEA defines as potentially sufficient for a nuclear weapon, provided it is further enriched.

The senior diplomat said, “That’s quite an amount, especially if you don’t use it for anything,” about Iran being the only nation to enrich to such a high degree without developing nuclear weapons. Ninety percent is weapons-grade.

Iran claims it is not looking for nuclear weapons despite having enough enriched uranium to build additional bombs.

However, the rate at which Iran is enriching to 60% has decreased, according to diplomats, from 9 kg (19.8 pounds) per month earlier this year to about 3 kg (6.6 pounds) per month. This is reportedly the result of indirect negotiations with the U.S. that resulted in a September prisoner exchange between the two nations.

The study also said there has been no change in the number of cascades or clusters of uranium-enriching centrifuges currently in use. However, the agency’s and Iran’s tensions have only become worse.

A year ago, the 35-nation Board of Governors of the U.N. nuclear watchdog issued a resolution directing Iran to cooperate with an IAEA probe into uranium remnants discovered at three unreported locations. The IAEA has since reduced the number of sites on the list to two, but not much more has been accomplished.

NO REPERCUSSIONS

The Iranian government’s so-called “de-designation” of senior IAEA inspectors in September and a March agreement to partially restore monitoring equipment, including security cameras that Iran requested be removed last year, have added to the IAEA’s growing list of urgent issues in Iran.

According to the second study released on Wednesday, such difficulties have not advanced. Iran responded to Rafael Grossi, the head of the IAEA, on Wednesday by stating that it was “exploring possibilities to address the request” and asking for the de-designation to be reconsidered.

“This measure, while formally permitted, was exercised by Iran in a manner that directly and seriously affects the Agency’s ability to conduct effectively its verification activities in Iran, in particular at the enrichment facilities,” the second report stated.

“The (IAEA) Director General (Grossi) continues to strongly condemn Iran’s sudden withdrawal of the designations of several experienced Agency inspectors,” it continued.

The IAEA board meets next week, and despite the standoffs over the inspectors, particles, and monitoring equipment, Iran is unlikely to suffer significant repercussions.

Diplomats say that although the U.S. and its European allies have threatened to pass another binding resolution against Iran, they won’t do so this time around to avoid escalating diplomatic tensions with Iran at a time when attention is primarily focused on Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza.