The UN
nuclear watchdog has accused Iran of “seriously” undermining its verification
and monitoring activities since February as the country has refused to let inspectors
access IAEA monitoring equipment. Iran is also increasing its enriched uranium
stockpile which could be used to make nuclear weapons.

The International
Atomic Energy Agency report to its member nations states that Iran’s actions
are in direct contravention of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that
the country signed with world powers.

The IAEA estimates
Iran’s stock of uranium enriched to up to 60% fissile purity at 10 kilograms,
an increase of 7.6 kilograms since May, while the country’s stockpile of
uranium enriched to up to 20% fissile purity is now estimated at 84.3
kilograms, up from 62.8 kilograms three months earlier.

Iran’s
total stock of uranium is estimated at 2,441.3 kilograms as of August 30. It
was estimated to be 3241 kilograms on May 22, the agency said.

Tehran is
only permitted to stockpile 202.8 kilograms of uranium under the JCPOA, which
promises Iran economic incentives in exchange for limits on its nuclear
programme, and is meant to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb.

The Vienna-based agency told members that its confidence in properly assessing
Iran’s activities — what it called the “continuity of knowledge” — was
declining over time and that would continue “unless the situation is
immediately rectified by Iran.”

The IAEA
said certain monitoring and surveillance equipment cannot be left for more than
three months without being serviced. It was provided with access this month to
four surveillance cameras installed at one site, but one of the cameras had
been destroyed and a second had been severely damaged, the agency said.

Its
director-general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said he was willing to travel to Iran
to meet the recently elected government for talks on the issue.

The US
unilaterally pulled out of the nuclear deal in 2018 under then-President Donald
Trump, but Britain, France, Germany, China, and Russia have tried to preserve
the accord.

Tehran’s strategy of deliberately violating the deal is seen as an attempt to pressure
Europe to give Iran incentives to offset the crippling American sanctions
re-imposed after the U.S. pullout.

US President
Joe Biden has said he is open to rejoining the pact. The last round of talks in
Vienna ended in June without a clear result.

(With AP
inputs)