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Iran has significantly stepped up its output of low-enriched uranium and total production in the last five years may be enough for at least five nuclear weapons if refined much further, a US security institute said.
The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a think-tank which closely tracks Irans nuclear programme, made the analysis on the basis of data in the latest quarterly UN watchdog report which was issued on Friday.
Progress in Irans nuclear activities is closely watched by the West and Israel as it could determine how long it could take Tehran to build atomic bombs, if it decided to do so. Iran denies any plan to and says its aims are entirely peaceful.
During talks in Baghdad this week, six world powers failed to convince Iran to scale back its uranium enrichment program. They will meet again in Moscow next month.
Fridays report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a Vienna-based UN body, showed Iran pressing ahead with its uranium enrichment work in defiance of UN resolutions calling on it to suspend the activity.
It said Iran had produced almost 6.2 metric tons (6.83 tons) of uranium enriched to a level of 3.5 per cent since it began the work in 2007 some of which has subsequently been further processed into higher-grade material.
This is nearly 750 kg more than in the previous IAEA report issued in February, and ISIS said Irans monthly production had risen by roughly a third. This total amount of 3.5 per cent low enriched uranium hexafluoride, if further enriched to weapon grade, is enough to make over five nuclear weapons, ISIS said in its analysis.
It added, however, that some of Irans higher-grade uranium had been converted into reactor fuel and would not be available for nuclear weapons, at least not quickly.
Enriched uranium can be used to fuel power plants, which is Irans stated purpose, or to provide material for bombs, if refined to a much higher degree.
Iran began enriching uranium to a fissile concentration of 20 per cent in 2010, saying it needed this to fuel a medical research reactor. It later expanded the work sharply by launching enrichment at an underground site, Fordow.
It alarmed a suspicious West since such enhanced enrichment accomplishes much of the technical leap towards 90 per cent or weapons-grade - uranium.
The IAEA report said Iran had installed more than 50 per cent more enrichment centrifuges at Fordow, which is buried deep under rock and soil to protect it against any enemy attacks.
Although not yet being fed with uranium, the new machines could be used to further boost Irans output of uranium enriched to 20 per cent.
Iran has enough uranium for 5 bombs: Expert
The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a think-tank which closely tracks Irans nuclear programme, made the analysis on the basis of data in the latest quarterly UN watchdog report which was issued on Friday.
Progress in Irans nuclear activities is closely watched by the West and Israel as it could determine how long it could take Tehran to build atomic bombs, if it decided to do so. Iran denies any plan to and says its aims are entirely peaceful.
During talks in Baghdad this week, six world powers failed to convince Iran to scale back its uranium enrichment program. They will meet again in Moscow next month.
Fridays report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a Vienna-based UN body, showed Iran pressing ahead with its uranium enrichment work in defiance of UN resolutions calling on it to suspend the activity.
It said Iran had produced almost 6.2 metric tons (6.83 tons) of uranium enriched to a level of 3.5 per cent since it began the work in 2007 some of which has subsequently been further processed into higher-grade material.
This is nearly 750 kg more than in the previous IAEA report issued in February, and ISIS said Irans monthly production had risen by roughly a third. This total amount of 3.5 per cent low enriched uranium hexafluoride, if further enriched to weapon grade, is enough to make over five nuclear weapons, ISIS said in its analysis.
It added, however, that some of Irans higher-grade uranium had been converted into reactor fuel and would not be available for nuclear weapons, at least not quickly.
Enriched uranium can be used to fuel power plants, which is Irans stated purpose, or to provide material for bombs, if refined to a much higher degree.
Iran began enriching uranium to a fissile concentration of 20 per cent in 2010, saying it needed this to fuel a medical research reactor. It later expanded the work sharply by launching enrichment at an underground site, Fordow.
It alarmed a suspicious West since such enhanced enrichment accomplishes much of the technical leap towards 90 per cent or weapons-grade - uranium.
The IAEA report said Iran had installed more than 50 per cent more enrichment centrifuges at Fordow, which is buried deep under rock and soil to protect it against any enemy attacks.
Although not yet being fed with uranium, the new machines could be used to further boost Irans output of uranium enriched to 20 per cent.
Iran has enough uranium for 5 bombs: Expert
Looking at how the whole world reacts towards Iran I just feel they should go ahead and develop nukes.
