Beyond the level of damage done to Fordow’s underground enrichment halls, one of the biggest open questions is the status of its stock of enriched uranium, particularly its more than 400kg of uranium enriched to up to 60 per cent purity, a short step from the roughly 90 per cent that is weapons grade.
That is enough, if enriched further, for nine nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick, though Iran says its intentions are peaceful and it does not seek atom bombs.
Iran did, however, inform the IAEA on Jun 13 that it would take “special measures” to protect its nuclear materials and equipment that are under so-called IAEA safeguards, the oversight provided for by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Grossi said.
“In my response that same day, I indicated that any transfer of nuclear material from a safeguarded facility to another location in Iran must be declared to the agency,” Grossi said.
“Any special measures by Iran to protect its nuclear materials and equipment … can be done in accordance with Iran’s safeguards obligations … This is possible.”
