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Iran’s Uranium Enrichment Hits a New High, Testing Diplomacy

  • IAEA probes accumulation of material just shy of bomb-grade
  • US says it’s aware of reports and in touch with UN and allies
The reactor building at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran.

The reactor building at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran.

Photographer: Majid Asgaripour/AFP/Getty Images

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International atomic monitors in Iran have detected uranium enriched to levels just below nuclear weapons-grade, risking an escalation over Tehran’s expanding program.  

The International Atomic Energy Agency is trying to clarify how Iran accumulated uranium enriched to 84% purity — the highest level found by inspectors in the country to date, and a concentration just 6% below what’s needed for a weapon.