Iran’s Nuclear Stockpile Grows Amid Simmering Israel Tensions

  • IAEA publishes first report since Iran elected new president
  • Assessment published amid rising military tension with Israel

Technicians work inside of a uranium conversion facility in Isfahan, Iran..

Photographer: Getty Images
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Iran’s nuclear-fuel levels rose over the last three months, the United Nations watchdog said, potentially ratcheting up tensions that have threatened to spill into a regional war.

Monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency reported Thursday that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium increased by 16% between June and August, according to a 13-page restricted report circulated among diplomats and seen by Bloomberg. That’s enough to fuel a handful of warheads, should Iran make a political decision to pursue weapons.