IAEA chief Grossi says Iran pledges more access for inspectors around nuclear site

he of UN’s nuclear agency said on Saturday, March 4, that Iran pledged to restore cameras and or monitoring equipment at its nuclear sites and to allow more inspections at a facility where particles of uranium enriched to near weapons gre were recently detected.

But a joint statement issued by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran’s nuclear body only gave vague assurances that Tehran would dress longstanding complaints about access it gives watchdog’s inspectors to its disputed nuclear program, reported AP.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and or top officials in Tehran earlier Saturday. “Over past few months, re was a reduction in some of monitoring activities” related to cameras and or equipment “which were not operating,” Grossi told reporters upon his return to Vienna. “We have agreed that those will be operating again.”

He did not provide details about which equipment would be restored or how soon it would happen but appeared to be referring to Iran’s removal of surveillance cameras from its nuclear sites in June 2022, during an earlier standoff with IAEA.

“se are not words. This is very concrete,” Grossi said of assurances he received in Tehran.

His first visit to Iran in a year came days after IAEA reported that uranium particles enriched up to 83.7% — just short of weapons gre — were found in Iran’s underground Fordo nuclear site.

confidential quarterly report by nuclear watchdog, which was distributed to member nations on Tuesday, March 2, came as tensions were alrey high amid months of anti-government protests in Iran and Western anger at its export of attack drones to Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

IAEA report said inspectors in January, found that two casces of IR-6 centrifuges at Fordo were configured in a way “substantially different” to what Iran h previously declared. That raised concerns that Iran was speeding up its enrichment.

Grossi said Iranians h agreed to boost inspections at facility by 50%. He also confirmed agency’s findings that re has not been any “production or accumulation” of uranium at higher enrichment level, “which is a very high level.”

Iran has sought to portray any highly enriched uranium particles as a minor byproduct of enriching uranium to 60% purity, which it has been doing openly for some time.

chief of Iran’s nuclear program, Mohamm Eslami, acknowledged findings of IAEA report at a news conference with Grossi in Tehran but said ir “ambiguity” h been resolved.

Nonproliferation experts say Tehran has no civilian use for uranium enriched to even 60%. A stockpile of material enriched to 90%, level needed for weapons, could quickly be used to produce an atomic bomb if Iran chooses.

Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers limited Tehran’s uranium stockpile and capped enrichment at 3.67% — enough to fuel a nuclear power plant. It also barred nuclear enrichment at Fordo, built deep inside a mountain to withstand aerial attacks.

U.S. unilaterally withdrew from accord in 2018, reimposing crushing sanctions on Iran, which n began openly breaching deal’s restrictions. Efforts by Biden ministration, European countries and Iran to negotiate a return to deal reached an impasse last summer.

joint statement issued Saturday said Iran “expressed its reiness to continue its cooperation and provide furr information and access to dress outstanding safeguards issues.”

That was a reference to a separate set of issues from highly enriched particles.

Over past four years, IAEA has accused Iran of stonewalling its investigation into traces of processed uranium found at three undeclared sites in country. agency’s 35-member board of governors censured Iran twice last year for failing to fully cooperate.

board could do so again when it meets on Monday, depending in part on how Western officials perceive results of Grossi’s visit.

Western officials have suggested so-called safeguards probe of three sites could confirm longstanding suspicions that Iran h a nuclear weapons program up until 2003. Iran has long denied ever seeking nuclear weapons and insists that its nuclear program is entirely for peaceful purposes.

dispute over safeguards probe was main obstacle in negotiations last year to restore nuclear agreement.

“ process has been long. I have not hidden that for us, it has been too long,” Grossi said, referring to safeguards issue. But he said re was a “marked improvement” in his dialogue with Iranian officials.

“I was heard,” he said. “I hope we will be seeing results soon. We will see.”

Uranium Particles Enriched To 83.7 Per Cent Found In Iran: UN Report

Inspectors from United Nations nuclear watchdog found uranium particles enriched up to 83.7 per cent in Iran's underground Fordo nuclear site, a report seen on February 28 by Associated Press said.

confidential quarterly report by IAEA distributed to member states likely will raise tensions furr between Iran and West over its programme.

That's even as Tehran faces internal unrest after months of protests and Western anger over sending bomb-carrying drones to Russia for its war on Ukraine.

IAEA report only speaks about “particles,” suggesting that Iran isn't building a stockpile of uranium enriched above 60 per cent — level it has been enriching at for some time.

IAEA report described inspectors discovering on January 21 that two casces of IR-6 centrifuges at Iran's Fordo facility h been configured in a way “substantially different” to what h been previously declared. IAEA took samples following day, which showed particles up to 83.7 per cent purity, report said.

“Iran informed agency that unintended fluctuations' in enrichment levels may have occurred during transition period," IAEA report said. “Discussions between agency and Iran to clarify matter are ongoing.” Iran's mission to United Nations did not immediately respond to questions regarding report, details of which h been circulating for about a week. IAEA report said that it would “furr increase frequency and intensity of agency verification activities” at Fordo after discovery.

(with AP inputs)