IAEA flag
IAEA flagReuters

Iran has continued to meet commitments under an interim nuclear agreement with six world powers, a new report by the UN’s atomic agency finds.

The monthly update by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), seen by Reuters on Friday, said Iran was not enriching uranium above a fissile concentration of 5 percent, far below the 90 percent level needed for atomic arms. It also said Iran had not made "any further advances" to its activities at two enrichment facilities and an unfinished heavy water reactor.

Under last year's accord between Iran and the United States, France, Germany, Russia, China and Britain, the Islamic Republic halted its most sensitive nuclear activity and took other steps in exchange for some easing of economic sanctions.

It was negotiated to buy time for talks on a final settlement of a 12-year dispute over Iran's nuclear program, which it says is peaceful but the West fears may be aimed at developing a capability to produce nuclear weapons.

After Iran and the powers last month failed for a second time to meet a deadline for ending the stand-off, they extended the preliminary accord until June 30.

The IAEA has thus far released several reports indicating that Iran is taking action to comply with the interim nuclear agreement, but last month it also said that Iran is not abiding by the interim conditions in refusing to answer questions on the military aspects of its program.

France and Britain said on Thursday that Iran had not demonstrated sufficient flexibility in the nuclear talks. The remarks, at the United Nations, came just after the completion of another inconclusive round of negotiations in Geneva this week.

Western officials say Iran has not compromised on major sticking points, including the size and scope of its future uranium enrichment program and the speed of ending sanctions.

Before the talks were extended, Iran had been toughening its stance, with its chief negotiator saying he sees no prospect for a deal unless the other side abandons its “illogical excessive demands”.

A senior Iranian official followed those comments by declaring that Iran will demand that all Western sanctions be lifted as part of a final deal, rejecting an American proposal of a gradual lifting of sanctions.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)