UN inspector ‘had traces of explosive’

Iran: Woman ‘positive’ at nuclear site

Iran has alleged that the UN inspector it blocked from a nuclear site last week tested positive for suspected traces of explosive nitrates.

The allegation made by Kazem Gharib Abadi, Iran’s representative at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), came as Tehran injected uranium gas into centrifuges at its underground Fordo complex yesterday, taking its most significant step away from its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

These latest steps put more pressure on Europe to offer Tehran a way to sell its crude oil abroad despite the US sanctions imposed on the country after president

Donald Trump withdrew the US from the deal.

The entrance to the nuclear complex includes equipment to check for nitrates, Mr Abadi said.

“The detector’s alarm went off and it was signalling to a specific person,” he said. “They have repeated this procedure again and again, and unfortunately the results were the same all the way for only that specific inspector.”

As they waited for a female employee to search the inspector, the woman went off to the toilet.

Mr Abadi alleged when she came back, she no longer tested positive.

Mr Abadi said he hoped further tests by Iran and the IAEA would explain what happened. Iran’s nuclear industry has been sabotaged and its scientists assassinated in the past.

The UN nuclear watchdog said it “does not agree with” Iran’s claims.

Meanwhile, Iran began to inject gas into centrifuges at Fordo, where 1,044 previously span without uranium gas for enrichment under the deal, which saw Iran limit its uranium enrichment in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

The centrifuges will ultimately begin enriching uranium up to 4.5%, just beyond the limits of the nuclear deal but nowhere near weapons-grade levels of 90%.