Business & Economy

IAEA, Iran on path to restore nuclear inspections: Grossi

Vienna, Mar 6 (EFE).- Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are on course to resume inspections of the Islamic republic’s nuclear sites, UN nuclear watchdog head Rafael Grossi said Monday.

Following his visit last week to Tehran and amid concerns over the discovery of highly enriched uranium, Grossi pointed out that international inspectors still have to hold more talks with Iranian representatives, adding that he is “neither optimistic nor pessimistic”.

Grossi met Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran for the first time to present his vision on cooperation and how to resolve outstanding issues with the Islamic Republic, a meeting which the IAEA chief said had “enormous importance” and was a “step in the right direction.”

IAEA inspections at Iran’s nuclear sites have been limited since February 2021, but now Tehran appears to be willing to reinstall cameras and other monitoring equipment at its facilities.

Despite these limitations, inspectors detected traces of uranium with a purity level of just under 84% at an underground nuclear facility in Iran in February, very close to the 90% needed to make a nuclear bomb.

Iran says that this level of enrichment was reached due to an unintended technical error.

Grossi, meanwhile, stressed Monday during the IAEA’s 35-member board of governors meeting in Vienna that Iran has neither produced significant quantities nor accumulated such material.

The IAEA has spent years trying to resolve these outstanding issues about the nature of Iran’s nuclear program.EFE

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