U.S. State Department raises alarm as IAEA report details Iran's growing uranium production

Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Iran increased its production of enriched uranium by 60% percent at its Natanz and Fordow facilities in the first six months of this year, the State Department announced Thursday, citing a new report from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

This increase in nuclear material is a "backwards step," the IAEA said in its new report. The UK also weighed in on the report, echoing the sentiments of both State and the IAEA.

"We condemn this action, which adds to the unabated escalation of Iran's nuclear program," the IAEA said. "The production of high-enriched uranium by Iran has no credible civilian justification and the reported production at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant and the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant further carries significant proliferation-related risks.

"We also take note of Iran's decision to revert to the same cascade configuration as the one discovered by the IAEA in Fordow earlier this year," the IAEA said. "Iran's delay in declaring this change in January 2023 cast serious doubts on Iran's willingness to cooperate with the IAEA in full transparency."

The State Department said Iran's decision to increase its enriched uranium production demonstrates a lack of good will and represents reckless behavior in an already tense geographic region engaged in a race to increase nuclear material.

The State Department urged Iran to de-escalate its nuclear program and reinstate nuclear inspectors that it suspended in September, and it called on the country to assure the IAEA that its nuclear program is "exclusively peaceful."

"We remain committed to a diplomatic solution and reaffirm our determination that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon," the State Department said in a statement.

Repeated use of sanctions

The Biden administration placed new sanctions on Iran in March, targeting the country's petroleum and petrochemical trade, an attempt to hinder Iran's ability to produce chemical and biological weapons. It was another move to further limit Tehran's energy industry amid concerns over its widening nuclear program.

Six companies, including two based in China and one in Vietnam, were blacklisted in March along with nearly two dozen shipping vessels that had been accused of engaging in the transport or sale of Iranian oil products.

"The United States is committed to significantly reducing Iranian energy exports and will sanction those facilitating Iran's petroleum and petrochemical trade," the State Department said in a statement in the Spring.

"These designations underscore our continued efforts to enforce our sanctions against Iran. We will not hesitate to take action against those who try to circumvent our sanctions."

Washington has repeatedly placed sanctions on Iran aimed at crippling the country's oil industry since former President Donald Trump removed America from a multi-nation agreement signed under Barack Obama designed to prevent Tehran from stockpiling enough material to build a nuclear weapon.

Iran's repeated actions

Iran has repeatedly reneged on its responsibilities under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action under the direction of its spiritual leader of Ali Khamenei.

Attempts by the Biden administration to reach a new deal with Iran have fallen short despite several rounds of negotiations.

Tensions escalated in the spring when the IAEA said it was in discussions with Tehran over "recent agency verification activities," after Bloomberg reported the agency detected Iran had enriched uranium to 84% purity.

Weapons-grade uranium is commonly considered to be enriched to 90%.