Talks with Iran on nuclear programme suspended, says UN atomic energy watchdog

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said that talks with Iran over the country’s nuclear programme have been suspended, as per AFP.

In recent years, the relationship between Iran and IAEA, the Unite Nations (UN) nuclear energy watchdog, has been tense as the IAEA has said that Iran has stopped the agency’s inspectors from accessing Iran’s nuclear facilities and has also deactivated monitoring devices there.

The AFP further quoted the IAEA as saying that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is now over 30 times the limit set in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The Iran nuclear deal refers to a landmark deal signed by Iran with the United States, United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, and Germany. The deal relaxed sanctions on Iran in lieu of Iran limiting its sensitive nuclear activities and allowing inspectors to monitor its nuclear facilities. In 2018, former US President Donald Trump exited the deal and then, in 2019, Iran also breached the terms of the deal.

In its quarterly report earlier this year, the IAEA said that Iran had an estimated 121.5 kg of uranium enriched up to 60% purity, according to VOA News. This was just one step below weapons-grade uranium of 90% purity.

Iran has long had a tense relationship with the West over its nuclear weapons programme. The West has long suspected that Iran is working towards a nuclear weapon. In March 2023, General Mark Milly, the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time, said Iran could develop a nuclear weapon within months of arriving at such a decision.

Milley said, “From the time of a national decision, Iran could produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon in approximately 10-15 days and it would only take several months to produce an actual nuclear weapon. The United States remains committed, as a matter of policy, that Iran will not have a fielded nuclear weapon. The United States military has developed multiple options for our national leadership to consider, if or when Iran decides to develop a nuclear weapon.”