IAEA: Iran has Uranium Particles Enriched to Nearly Bomb Grade

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi. IAEA
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi. IAEA
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IAEA: Iran has Uranium Particles Enriched to Nearly Bomb Grade

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi. IAEA
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi. IAEA

The UN nuclear watchdog is in discussions with Iran on the origin of uranium particles enriched to up to 83.7% purity, very close to weapons grade, at its Fordow enrichment plant, a report by the watchdog seen by Reuters confirmed on Tuesday.

Diplomats said last week that the agency had found the traces at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), where Iran is enriching uranium to up to 60% purity. Weapons grade is around 90%. While spikes in enrichment levels can occur and this could have been accidental, this spike is relatively large.

The traces were found in the product from the two interconnected cascades, or clusters, of advanced centrifuges at Fordow that are enriching to up to 60%. The International Atomic Energy Agency chided Iran in an earlier report for making substantial changes to those cascades without informing it.

"Regarding the origin of the particles enriched above 60% U-235, identified after the implementation of the new cascade configuration at FFEP, discussions with Iran are still continuing," the confidential IAEA report to member states said.

"Iran informed the Agency that 'unintended fluctuations in enrichment levels may have occurred during transition period at the time of commissioning the process of [60%] product (November 2022) or while replacing the feed cylinder'," it added.

The report also said Iran's stock of uranium enriched to up to 60%, which is being produced at two sites, had grown by 25.2 kg to 87.5 kg since the last quarterly report. The total stockpile of uranium enriched to that and lower levels is estimated at 3,760.8 kg, the report said.

CIA director William Burns warned on Sunday that Iran could enrich uranium within weeks to 90 percent, the quantity it needs for a nuclear weapon.



Israel Ultra-Orthodox Party Threatens Government over Draft Law

Israeli army vehicles transport a group of soldiers and journalists inside the southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP)
Israeli army vehicles transport a group of soldiers and journalists inside the southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP)
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Israel Ultra-Orthodox Party Threatens Government over Draft Law

Israeli army vehicles transport a group of soldiers and journalists inside the southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP)
Israeli army vehicles transport a group of soldiers and journalists inside the southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP)

Israel's ultra-Orthodox Shas party on Monday threatened to bring down Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government by backing a motion for early elections amid a row over military service.

Netanyahu's coalition, one of the most right-wing in Israel's history, is at risk of collapsing over a bill that could reverse the long-standing exemption from the draft for ultra-Orthodox Jews.

The exemption is facing growing pushback as Israel wages war on the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.

Netanyahu is under pressure from within his Likud party to draft more ultra-Orthodox men and impose penalties on draft dodgers -- a red line for Shas.

The party is demanding legislation to permanently exempt its followers from military service and gave Netanyahu two days to find a solution.

"We don't want to bring down a right-wing government, but we've reached our limit," Shas spokesperson Asher Medina told public radio.

"If there's no last-minute solution (on conscription), we'll vote to dissolve the Knesset," he said, referring to the Israeli parliament.

Last week, a Shas source told AFP the party was threatening to quit the coalition unless a solution was reached by Monday.

The opposition is seeking to place a bill to dissolve parliament on Wednesday's plenary agenda, hoping to capitalize on the ultra-Orthodox revolt to topple the government.

Netanyahu's coalition, formed in December 2022, includes Likud, far-right factions and ultra-Orthodox parties. A walkout by the latter would end its majority.

A poll published in March by right-wing daily Israel Hayom found 85 percent of Israeli Jews support changing the conscription law for Haredim.

Forty-one percent backed compulsory military service -- currently 32 months for men -- for all eligible members of the community.