[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

THE U-N’S NUCLEAR WATCHDOG IS WARNING WORLD LEADERS IRAN’S RECENT PROMISE TO RAMP UP ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS GRADE LEVELS IS WELL UNDERWAY.

[RAFAEL GROSSI]

IRAN HAS MOVED INTO INCREASING THE PRODUCTION, ENRICHMENT OF 60 PERCENT SEVENFOLD.

SO, I THINK THIS IS A CLEAR INDICTATION OF AN ACCELERATION. THEY ARE PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL.

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

RAFAEL GROSSI, HEAD OF THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, TOLD THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS THIS WEEK IRAN TOLD THE U-N IT WOULD RAPIDLY INCREASE URANIUM ENRICHMENT TO AROUND 90 PERCENT PURITY.

THE I-A-E-A SAYS ABOUT 42 KILOGRAMS OF URANIUM ENRICHED TO THAT LEVEL IS ENOUGH TO CREATE ONE NUCLEAR BOMB.

GROSSI SAID IRAN CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 200 KILOGRAMS OF URANIUM ENRICHED UP TO 60 PERCENT

THE WARNING COMES AFTER FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON CAUTIONED WESTERN AND EUROPEAN ALLIES TEHRAN IS REACHING A “POINT OF NO RETURN” IN ITS PURSUIT OF NUCLEAR-WEAPON-GRADE URANIUM EARLIER THIS MONTH.

GROSSI IS CALLING ON TEHRAN AND THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO BEGIN TALKS TO DETER IRAN FROM GOING FURTHER WITH ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM.

IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, WHO TOOK A HARDLINE WITH IRAN DURING HIS FIRST TERM, OR TEHRAN WILL BE OPEN TO DISCUSSION.

IRAN HAS REPEATEDLY DENIED ITS ENRICHING URANIUM TO MAKE A NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND CLAIMS IT’S ONLY BEING USED FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI.