VIENNA: Talks between the UN nuclear watchdog and Iran on resuming inspections at bombed enrichment sites cannot drag on indefinitely, the agency’s chief Rafael Grossi warned on Wednesday (Sep 3), urging Tehran to strike a deal as early as this week.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has had no update from Iran since Israel and the United States struck its enrichment facilities in June, leaving unanswered questions about the status of Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Iran has passed a law requiring its Supreme National Security Council to approve any future inspections, forcing negotiations on how oversight can resume.
Grossi told Reuters that he was trying to leave room for diplomacy, but stressed the process must be concluded within a “reasonable time frame”. “It’s not something that can go on for months on end … it would be really good if we could have this agreed before next week,” he said.
QUESTIONS OVER URANIUM STOCKPILE
While Iran’s enrichment facilities were damaged or destroyed, uncertainty remains over its uranium stockpile enriched up to 60 per cent, a short step from weapons-grade.
A confidential IAEA report to member states said Iran had 440.9 kg of material at that level before the June attacks, enough for 10 nuclear bombs if refined further. Grossi said he believed the material was “by and large” intact but stressed the need for verification. “We don’t have indications that would lead us to believe that there has been major movement of material,” he said.
