IAEA chief: Iran poised to 'quite dramatically' increase stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium

Iran is poised to quite dramatically increase its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned Friday. Grossi said Iran had begun preparing advanced centrifuge cascades to spin at nuclear facilities to increase its supply of 60 per cent enriched uranium. Iran did not immediately acknowledge the preparations, which Grossi said had begun Friday.

Iran is poised to "quite dramatically" increase its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned Friday. Rafael Mariano Grossi made the comment Friday on the sidelines of the International Institute of Strategic Studies' Manama Dialogue in Bahrain. Grossi said Iran had begun preparing advanced centrifuge cascades to spin at nuclear facilities to increase its supply of 60 per cent enriched uranium. That's a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.

"I think it is very concerning," Grossi told journalists. Iran did not immediately acknowledge the preparations, which Grossi said had begun Friday. Inspectors hope to examine what's going on.

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