VIENNA
\nThe United States called on Iran on Wednesday to dilute all of the uranium it has enriched to up to 60 percent purity, close to the weapons-grade level of roughly 90 percent, in a statement denouncing many of Tehran\u2019s recent nuclear moves.
\nThe International Atomic Energy Agency said in a confidential report to member states last week that Iran\u2019s stock of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent had fallen slightly in the past quarter as it had diluted, or \u201cdownblended,\u201d more of its most highly enriched material than it had produced.
\nIran still has enough of that material, if enriched further, to fuel two nuclear weapons by a theoretical IAEA definition, and enough for more bombs at lower enrichment levels, the report seen by Reuters showed.
\n\u201cIran should downblend all, not just some, of its 60 percent stockpile, and stop all production of uranium enriched to 60 percent entirely,\u201d the United States said in a statement on Iran to a quarterly meeting of the 35-nation IAEA Board of Governors.
\nIt is not clear why Iran downblended the material. It denies seeking nuclear weapons and says it has the right to enrich to high levels for civil purposes. Western powers say there is no credible civil justification for enriching to such high levels.
\n\u201cWe continue to have serious concerns related to the stockpile of highly enriched uranium that Iran continues to maintain,\u201d the US statement said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
VIENNA The United States called on Iran on Wednesday to dilute all of the uranium it has enriched to up to 60 percent purity, close to the weapons-grade level of roughly 90 percent, in a statement denouncing many of Tehran\u2019s recent nuclear moves. The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a confidential report to member […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":391988,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-391978","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n