Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday called on the international community to take immediate action against the Iranian nuclear programme.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recently published its latest report, according to which Iran has increased its stockpile of enriched uranium to levels approaching the threshold relevant for nuclear weapons during the nuclear talks between Iran and the United States.
“The international community must act now to stop Iran,” reads the statement published on Saturday by Netanyahu’s cabinet.
According to the United Nations body responsible for overseeing compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Tehran currently has nearly 409 kilograms of 60 percent pure uranium, which is about 49 percent more than at the time of the IAEA’s February assessment – the Vienna-based organisation stated.
According to diplomatic sources, about 42 kilograms of uranium enriched to 90 percent is sufficient for the production of a nuclear weapon.
“The report clearly confirms what Israel has been saying for years: the aim of Iran’s nuclear programme is not peaceful,” Netanyahu’s statement reads.
Iran claims that its nuclear programme serves only peaceful purposes:
“This is clear in light of Iran’s worrying uranium enrichment activities. Such enrichment levels exist only in countries that conduct nuclear weapons programmes, and there is no civilian purpose for this.”
US President Donald Trump recently stated that he had warned Netanyahu not to take measures that could interrupt the negotiations with Iran on its nuclear programme.
Iran insists that its nuclear programme serves only peaceful purposes and does not want to produce nuclear weapons.
