by Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
CAIRO (Worthy News) – Iran’s expanding uranium enrichment program sparked urgent diplomatic talks in Cairo on Monday, following an IAEA report warning that Tehran has nearly doubled its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60%–just shy of weapons-grade.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, attending the summit, called for clarity and diplomacy, saying the growing stockpile is a “serious concern” to the agency. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Egyptian leaders and reiterated Iran’s “continuous cooperation,” though Tehran accuses Grossi of political bias, claiming he’s using the report to advance his U.N. ambitions.
According to IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi, who was present in Cairo, the report was compiled to urge clarity and encourage diplomacy amid what he described as an “ongoing concern” to the IAEA’s board of governors. “We hope that by providing the clarification, we will be providing an incentive for a peaceful solution,” Grossi said.
The IAEA report confirms that Iran has amassed 408.6 kilograms (900.8 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity—a nearly 50% increase since February—making it the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce such material. A companion document further highlights Iran’s refusal to address concerns about undeclared nuclear sites tied to a suspected weapons program that operated prior to 2003. Enrichment at this level is considered just a short technical step from weapons-grade uranium.
Analysts warn that Iran may be using delaying tactics to quietly reach nuclear weapons capability—a status both the United States and Israel have vowed will never be allowed to take place.
Israel responded forcefully over the weekend. “This level of enrichment has no civilian justification,” said Prime Minister Netanyahu. “Iran is actively pursuing nuclear weapons. The world must act–before it’s too late.”
Omani mediators presented a new U.S. proposal in Tehran as part of ongoing nuclear talks. Iran is reviewing the offer, but negotiations remain deadlocked despite five rounds of talks.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Thursday to launch another night of heavy airstrikes against Iran and suggested Washington could eventually seize Kharg Island, Iran’s primary crude oil export terminal, in what would mark a major escalation in the widening conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel is at war with Hezbollah, not with the people of Lebanon, accusing the Iranian-backed terror group of dragging Lebanon into repeated conflict while using its territory to attack Israel.
Belgium has rejected a U.S. request to impose an entry ban on travelers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, deepening a transatlantic dispute over how to respond to a potentially deadly Ebola outbreak ahead of the FIFA World Cup, the global football (soccer) tournament beginning Thursday in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The United States launched a new wave of strikes against Iran on Wednesday, targeting air defense and radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz as President Donald Trump increased military pressure on Tehran following days of escalating attacks and stalled nuclear negotiations.
Tehran warned Wednesday it would “reassess” its participation in peace talks with the United States after President Donald J. Trump said Iran would have to “pay the price” as the two nations traded fire overnight.
The killing of a 22-year-old Christian man in Pakistan’s Punjab province has sparked grief and renewed concerns about the safety of religious minorities, Christian leaders told Worthy News on Wednesday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Wednesday that Israel’s military operations in Syria and Lebanon have reached the point of threatening Turkey itself, escalating a bitter war of words with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as tensions widen across the Middle East.