The International Atomic Energy Agency said, in a report seen by Agence France-Presse in Vienna on Tuesday, that it is “extremely concerned” about the possibility of nuclear material being found at an unauthorized site in Iran.
The agency wrote in the report that “the presence of uranium particles resulting from human activity, which are not authorized by Iran, clearly reflects the presence of nuclear materials and / or equipment contaminated with nuclear materials in this place,” according to France Press.
“After 18 months, Iran has not yet provided the necessary, complete and reliable technical explanations,” the agency said, noting that its Director General, Rafael Grossi, who flew to Tehran last weekend, expressed again his “concern about the lack of progress” on this issue, according to the agency French.
This report came at a time of increasing tension regarding the Iranian nuclear file, and at a time when Iran began to reduce the inspections carried out by the International Atomic Energy Agency after the expiration of the deadline set by Tehran to lift the US sanctions imposed on it.
It is noteworthy that the International Atomic Energy Agency had previously referred to a site in Turksabad in Tehran, in a report it published last November, in which it indicated that the Iranian explanations were “unreliable.”
Meanwhile, Iran continues to accumulate weakly enriched uranium, and its quantity currently exceeds 14 times the limit permitted in the 2015 nuclear deal, according to this report that will be examined by the IAEA Board of Governors last week.
According to the French agency, as of February 16, Iran’s stockpile of weakly enriched uranium amounted to about 2968 kilograms, although the specified limit is 202.8 kilograms.
It is worth noting that Tehran announced in early January the start of uranium enrichment measures by 20%, which is considered the largest violation of its pledges.
Also today, France, Germany and Britain urged Tehran to stop all measures that reduce transparency and ensure full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, while the latter called on Tehran to provide answers about the presence of traces of uranium in some sites.
In a joint statement, the three countries expressed “deep regret” over Iran’s decision to limit international inspections.
“We, the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Britain, express our deep regret for Iran’s beginning to suspend the additional protocol and transparency measures” contained in the Iranian nuclear deal, stressing the “dangerous nature” of Tehran’s decision, according to AFP.
France, Germany and Britain said that Iran began today to suspend the additional protocol and the transparency measures stipulated in the nuclear agreement.
The three countries added that they are trying to preserve the nuclear agreement through negotiations that lead to the return of Washington and Tehran to it, calling on Iran to stop all measures that reduce transparency and ensure full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
.
