Iran says more talks needed over IAEA inspections of nuclear sites
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Tehran said the new agreement with IAEA does not guarantee inspectors’ access to Iranian nuclear sites.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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DUBAI – A new agreement between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog
Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reached a deal on Sept 9 on resuming inspections at sites including those bombed by the US and Israel but gave no specifics. Tehran said the deal was off if international sanctions were reimposed.
“I have to reiterate the agreement does not currently provide access to IAEA inspectors, apart from the Bushehr nuclear plant,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state TV in an interview.
“Based on reports that Iran will issue in the future, the nature of access will have to be discussed at an appropriate time,” he added.
Diplomats said the devil would be in the details of the Sept 9 agreement. No joint press conference was held in Cairo to provide details on what the IAEA has been calling “modalities” regarding the resumption of inspections.
The agreement comes against the backdrop of an ongoing threat by European powers to reimpose international sanctions
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said on Sept 10 that the “technical document” agreed provided for “a clear understanding of the procedures for inspection, notifications and implementation”.
“These include all facilities and installations in Iran and also contemplates the required reporting on all the attacked facilities, including the nuclear material present at those.”
While Iran’s enrichment sites have been badly damaged or destroyed, it is less clear what has happened to the stockpile, which includes uranium enriched to up to 60 per cent purity, a short step from the roughly 90 per cent required for weapons-grade.
Mr Araghchi said the IAEA’s board of governors’ meeting on Sept 10 would be crucial concerning how cooperation with the agency develops. REUTERS
