Iran is just "weeks away" from having enough enriched uranium to develop a nuclear bomb, the International Atomic Energy Agency boss has chillingly warned.
Director General Rafael Grossi has revealed Iran's nuclear activities were "raising eyebrows" at IAEA and said they are "weeks rather than months" away from being able to produce a nuclear bomb.
He admitted "that does not mean that Iran has or would have a nuclear weapon in that space of time." Mr Grossi said uranium enrichment at near weapons-grade levels is a cause for alarm.
"A functional nuclear warhead requires many other things independently from the production of the fissile material", he added. He also said Iran's objectives are "a matter of speculation."
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Speaking to DW, the nuclear boss admitted the IAEA is not getting the level of access he believes it needs in Iran, adding to more speculation over Tehran's nuclear program.
"I have been telling my Iranian counterparts time and again... this activity raises eyebrows and compounded with the fact that we are not getting the necessary degree of access and visibility that I believe should be necessary," he said. "When you put all of that together, then, of course, you end up with lots of question marks."
Mr Grossi said the IAEA has been left with a number of unsolved findings including the traces of enriched uranium in unexpected locations - raising more questions about Iran's nuclear plans.
"This has been at the center of this dialogue that I have been and I am still trying to conduct with Iran", he added.
He also condemned the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran as he admitted "attacking nuclear facilities is an absolute no-go."
"So I believe that this normalization of talk about nuclear weapons, dropping nuclear weapons, getting nuclear weapons is absolutely deplorable," he added.
Mr Grossi's admission comes as The International Atomic Energy Agency revealed in February that Iran had increased its total stockpile of uranium, according to a report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
According to the IAEA’s definition, around 42 kilograms (92.5 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% is the amount at which creating one atomic weapon is theoretically possible. The 60% purity is just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Eric Brewer, deputy vice president of the Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiativesaid that Iran could potentially make several nuclear bombs.
“Iran has enough 60 percent material for roughly three nuclear weapons, if further enriched to 90 percent. When you include Iran’s stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium and 5 percent, it has enough material for several additional bombs,” Mr Brewer said.