Iran agrees to halt expansion of enriched uranium needed to make nuclear bomb

Iran has taken steps to halt the expansion of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, according to a confidential report by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The offer to do so was conditional on western powers abandoning their push for a resolution against Iran at this week's meeting of the IAEA’s 35-nation board of governors over its lack of co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

According to the IAEA, Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to 60 per cent, a short step from the 90 per cent needed for atomic weapons, but the regime has always denied planning to build a nuclear weapon.

Iran has increased its stockpile of enriched uranium in recent months, reaching more than 32 times the limit set in the 2015 accord with world powers. The stockpile was estimated at 6,604.4kg as of October 26, up 852.6kg from the last quarterly report in August.

The confidential report follows a visit last week by IAEA head Rafael Grossi to Tehran for talks with President Masoud Pezeshkian and other officials.

During the visit, "the possibility of Iran not further expanding its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent was discussed", the report said.

"On November 16, the agency verified that Iran had begun implementation of preparatory measures aimed at stopping the increase of its stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent," it added. "Exchanges between the agency and Iran on this matter are expected to continue."

The report comes on the eve of the board of governors' meeting, where European powers, backed by the US, seek to censure Iran for its poor co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

The draft resolution backed by Britain, France, Germany and the US condemning Iran would also assign the body with the task of issuing a "comprehensive report" on Iran's nuclear activities, diplomats said.

The aim is to pressure Iran to return to the negotiating table to agree on new restrictions on its nuclear activities.

Britain's Foreign Office said on Tuesday that it is deeply concerned that Iran continues to increase its uranium stockpile, adding that this includes "High-enriched uranium which has no credible civilian justification".

"Iran’s stockpile brings it very close to having fissile material that could be used for a nuclear weapon and is unprecedented for a state without a nuclear weapons programme," the Foreign Office said in a statement. “We remain committed to taking every diplomatic step to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, including through snapback if necessary."

US president-elect Donald Trump pulled the US out of the nuclear deal in 2018, which led to it unravelling. He has pledged to again take a more confrontational approach and align Washington even more closely with Iran's arch-foe Israel, which opposed the deal.

It comes as Iranian MP Mahmoud Nabavian on Monday called for Tehran to change its nuclear policy to allow it to develop "any weapon that creates deterrence" against attacks on the country.

His comments follow a series of similar remarks from senior officials, who said Iran should abandon its long-standing position against developing nuclear weapons, after coming under direct attack from Israel twice this year.