(Al Jazeera Media Network) Iran has rejected a report from the United Nations nuclear watchdog that alleges Tehran has increased its stockpile of highly enriched, near weapons-grade uranium by 50 percent in the last three months.
Iran said on Saturday that the accusation from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was “politically motivated and repeats baseless accusations.”
It all comes as nuclear deal negotiations are under way between the United States and Iran, with the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying that his country would respond to “elements of a US proposal” his Omani counterpart, Badr Al-Busaidi, had presented during a short visit to Tehran on Saturday.
Araghchi said that the proposal would be “responded to in line with the principles, national interests and rights of the people of Iran.”
Tehran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.
The IAEA said that as of May 17, Iran had amassed 408.6 kg of uranium enriched up to 60 percent – the only non-nuclear weapon state to do so, according to the UN agency – and had increased its stockpile by almost 50 percent to 133.8 kg since its last report in February.