Iran agrees to stricter monitoring of uranium facility

Iran is permitting closer surveillance of a controversial uranium facility after agreeing that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) can conduct more frequent and intensive monitoring, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on Thursday.

Grossi had called for this after Tehran began significantly increasing the production capacity for nearly weapons-grade uranium at the underground facility in Fordo at the beginning of December.

The foreign ministries of Germany, France and the United Kingdom jointly appealed to Tehran this week to reverse the steps towards expanding uranium enrichment "and to immediately halt its nuclear escalation."

Iran has already been producing uranium with a purity level of 60%. Many countries are concerned because such material could be enriched to weapons-grade 90% in a short time.

According to information from the Vienna-based IAEA, Iran plans to increase its monthly production capacity for 60% uranium from 4.7 kilograms to over 34 kilograms. Experts say between 40 and 50 kilograms of this material would be needed for a nuclear weapon.

The government in Tehran claims it is not pursuing nuclear weapons. However, against the backdrop of military tensions with Israel, Iran's nuclear doctrine is being increasingly openly discussed.

The possibility of withdrawing from the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is on the table if severe UN sanctions are reintroduced.