UN nuclear chief: Sites in Iran not fully monitored
Grossi’s words dampen formerly optimistic tone
VIENNA – The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog warned Wednesday his inspectors are close to being unable to “guarantee” they know what’s going on at all of Iran’s nuclear sites.
Rafael Mariano Grossi’s words sharply contrasted with the optimistic tone his Iranian hosts offered the day before. They signal the Islamic Republic’s harder line as renewed talks over Tehran’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers resume next week.
They also represent an alarm for nuclear nonproliferation experts after Grossi’s trip to Tehran produced no breakthrough to restore its ability to fully monitor its program.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s inspectors remain unable to access surveillance footage and face greater challenges in trying to monitor Tehran’s rapidly growing uranium stockpile, some of which is now enriched up to 60% purity – a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
“Our negotiations have been inconclusive, meaning that we could not finish,” Grossi said. “I’m not giving up on trying to find some understanding, but in terms of what we were discussing yesterday, we could not conclude an agreement.”
Pressed about progress, Grossi said that “in terms of the substance, no, quite clearly we were not able to make progress.” However, he said that having gotten to know the new Iranian officials was “a positive element” and
“this will certainly help.”
But he warned: “We are close to the point where I would not be able to guarantee continuity of knowledge.” He did not specify a time frame, but said a long lack of access to a centrifuge parts production site near the northern city of Karaj “would at some point prevent me from continuing to say that I have an idea of what is going on.”
On Tuesday, Grossi went to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the country’s civilian nuclear agency, and met its new head, Mohammad Eslami. He also met Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who said Iran was determined to have “constructive engagement” with the IAEA to “improve mutual trust and cooperation,” according to a report by the state-run IRNA news agency.
Under a confidential agreement
called an “Additional Protocol” with Iran, the IAEA collects and analyzes images from a series of surveillance cameras installed at Iranian nuclear sites. Those cameras helped it monitor Tehran’s program to see if it is complying with the nuclear deal.
Iran’s parliament in December 2020 approved a bill that would suspend part of U.N. inspections of its nuclear facilities if European signatories did not provide relief from oil and banking sanctions by February. Since February, the IAEA has been unable to access imagery from the surveillance cameras.
Under the deal, the IAEA also placed around 2,000 tamper-proof seals on nuclear material and equipment. Those seals communicated electronically to inspectors. Automated measuring devices also provided real-time data from the program.