Obama administration "totally perplexed" over NYT report on Iran’s increased nuclear stockpile

State Department spokesperson Marie Harf said the Obama administration was “perplexed” by the New York Times reporting that Iran had increased its nuclear fuel stockpile by 20 percent over the past 18 months.

"Our team read that story this morning and was quite frankly perplexed because the main contentions of it are totally inaccurate.

“First, the notion in the story that western officials or U.S. officials involved were unaware of this issue or not understanding of what this entails is just absurd. Under the JPOA (Joint Plan of Action), Iran can fluctuate its numbers in terms of their stockpile. They can go up and down as long as at the end of fixed date they are back down below a number.

“What matters is that they [Iran] have committed already, and we said publicly to reducing their stockpile whenever this implemented 300 kilograms.

“The notion that this is some big issue of concern of negotiation is more manufacturing a controversy than actual reality. Everyone who read that story this morning was totally perplexed by it," Harf said.