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Iran allowing only a fraction of monitoring needed at nuclear sites, IAEA says

$Iran allowing only a fraction of monitoring needed at nuclear sites, IAEA says$

05 June 2023 15:28 (UTC +04:00)

Iran is only allowing a “fraction” of the monitoring equipment at its nuclear sites that the UN’s nuclear watchdog expects, the organisation's head said, APA reports citing TheNationalNews.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, revealed Iran has for the first time allowed devices at two plants to detect uranium enrichment levels.

Earlier this year Mr Grossi visited Iran and met President Ebrahim Raisi, after which a Joint Statement was issued stating Tehran “will allow the IAEA to implement further appropriate verification and monitoring activities”.

The director general said for the first time the IAEA has installed an enrichment monitoring device at two uranium enrichment sites, at Fordow and Natanz.

“This will help us detect more rapidly any variations in enrichment levels at these facilities,” he said in a statement to the IAEA’s board of governors.

“But this is a fraction of what we envisaged and what needs to happen now is a sustained and uninterrupted process that leads to all the commitments contained in the Joint Statement being fulfilled without further delay.”

Mr Grossi was speaking ahead of the release of a new report into the monitoring and verification of Iran’s nuclear programme.