Washington, United States. The interim U.S.-Iran peace accord requires U.N. nuclear inspectors to gain access to Iran, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said on Friday. His remarks came after Iran indicated key sites would remain off-limits until a final deal with Washington was reached and sanctions were lifted.
Interim accord and inspection access
The United States and Iran last week signed a memorandum of understanding that opens the way for 60 days of talks to address unresolved issues, including matters related to Iran’s nuclear programme. On Wednesday, Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said there were no plans to grant inspectors access.
Grossi said on Friday that inspections were required under the agreement. Speaking at a press conference in Japan, he said, “There is an agreement and to comply with that agreement, the IAEA will have to have access and inspect.” He added, “We hope to be there soon.”
Technical discussions and verification
Grossi said U.N. inspectors had already held an initial exchange with Iranian officials to discuss technical issues. He said the first objective of any visit to Iran would be to verify whether IAEA seals on previously inspected material remained intact and whether any material was missing.
He said a strong verification system was necessary, adding, “Intentions are not enough. We have to have a very strong verification system in place.”
Enriched uranium stockpile
Iran has not informed the IAEA how much of its enriched uranium survived U.S. and Israeli attacks or where it is, Grossi said.
The IAEA estimates that before the conflict began, Iran had 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60%. According to an IAEA yardstick, that quantity, if enriched further, would be enough for 10 nuclear weapons.
