IAEA suspects North Korea still enriching uranium, heightens open-source info collection

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) suspects North Korea is still enriching uranium. On Wednesday, September 2 the UN's atomic watchdog said that while there are no signs of North Korea reprocessing fuel from its main nuclear reactor into plutonium over the past year, the seems to be still enriching uranium which could potentially be used in a nuclear weapon.

According to the reports, IAEA does not have any inspectors in Pyongyang at the moment since they were expelled back in 2009. The report added that the UN body is putting efforts to prepare the inspectors for their return if approved by North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un. 

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IAEA monitors North Korea

According to reports, IAEA has intensified its open-source information collection and increased its reach over satellite imagery to monitor North Korea's nuclear program. It further added that without any vigilance teams present to carry out information, the IAEA’s knowledge of North Korea’s nuclear program “is limited and, as further nuclear activities take place in the country, this knowledge is declining.” 

North Korea is reported to possess equipment and facilities to produce highly enriched uranium and plutonium which are important components used in explosives at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex situated north of Pyongyang. 

In its report, IAEA said that covering the period since its last assessment in August 2019, there has been no detected operation of the plant that provides steam for the reprocessing of spent fuel rods, “therefore it is almost certain that no reprocessing activity took place and that the plutonium produced... during the most recent operational cycle has not been separated.”

However, at the same time, the UN agency reported that its observations of cooling units at the Yongbyon nuclear fuel rod fabrication plant and vehicular movements there “were consistent with the production of enriched uranium at the reported centrifuge enrichment facility.”

READ: Iran Agrees To Allow IAEA To Inspect Two Suspected Nuclear Sites 'to Resolve The Issues'

Iran agrees to allow IAEA inspectors

Meanwhile, Iran has agreed to allow inspectors from IAEA to visit the country's two suspected nuclear sites for verification purposes. The Islamic Republic and the United Nations' nuclear watchdog reached an agreement that would allow IAEA to visit the two suspected nuclear cities in Tehran and Isfahan. The agreement comes amid IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi's high-level visit to Iran. 

Iran had long-denied permission to IAEA for inspection in the country, arguing that it was due to baseless allegations from Israel. But the Islamic Republic finally agreed after continuous pressure from the UN body over the past few months. 

Tensions in the region have flared since US President Donald Trump unilaterally backed out of the Iran nuclear deal which was imposed by the Obama administration in a bid to stabilize the Middle East. Since the 2018 pull-out, the Trump administration has made numerous attempts to reinstate pre-Iran deal sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

(With AP Inputs)

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Image/Inputs: AP