The IAEA says Iran is running out as talks on a nuclear deal remain in balance

VIENNA, Sept. 7 (Reuters) – The UN atomic dog on Tuesday criticized Iran for trying to investigate past activities and endangering major surveillance tasks, which could complicate efforts to resume talks on Iranian nuclear deal.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in two reports to member states reviewed by Reuters that there had been no progress on two key issues: explaining traces of uranium found at several undeclared ancient sites and gaining urgent access to some equipment. control so that the agency can continue to monitor parts of Iran’s nuclear program.

Although research on uranium traces has been underway for more than a year, diplomats say the IAEA urgently needs access to the equipment to change memory cards, so that there are no gaps in their observation of activities such as the production of parts for centrifuges, machines that enrich uranium.

Without this surveillance and the so-called continuity of knowledge, Iran could produce and hide unknown quantities of this equipment that can be used to make weapons or reactors. Read more

“The Agency’s confidence that it can maintain the continuity of knowledge has diminished over time and has now declined significantly,” said one of the two reports, adding that although the agency needs access to the computer every three months, since then had not had access. May 25.

“This confidence will continue to decline unless Iran immediately rectifies the situation.”

A senior diplomat said the agency’s confidence that the team continues to function properly is rapidly declining after three months, and while memory cards should continue to function a little longer, inspectors will need access soon. .

Former President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the 2015 agreement, according to which Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for lifting sanctions. Tehran responded to the withdrawal and re-imposition of U.S. sanctions in violation of many of these restrictions.

Indirect talks between the United States and Iran on the two returning countries have stalled while Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has taken office. France and Germany have called on Iran to return soon and Raisi has said Tehran is ready but not under Western “pressure”. Read more

“NO MORE RETURN”

Tuesday’s criticism of the IAEA means the United States and its European allies must now decide whether to seek a resolution at next week’s meeting of the board of governors of 35 IAEA countries to press the Iran to give in.

A resolution could also make it difficult to resume talks on the deal, as Tehran often searches with such moves.

“The Director-General is increasingly concerned that, even after about two years, the safeguard issues mentioned above in relation to the four locations in Iran not declared to the Agency remain unresolved,” he said. the second of the reports.

He said Iran needs to resolve outstanding site-related issues, which include questions about a fourth location that the IAEA has not inspected “without further delay.”

The report suggested that an apparent attack in June on a workshop producing centrifuge components at the TESA Karaj complex was worse than Iran has admitted.

Iran has called for Israel to attempt sabotage and said there was minor damage to the building, but to the equipment.

The first IAEA report said that of the four IAEA surveillance cameras installed in the workshop, one was destroyed and another severely damaged. Iran said it withdrew them before showing them to IAEA inspectors last Saturday.

However, the “data storage media and recording unit” of the destroyed camera was not among the items presented by Iran, according to the report, which adds that the IAEA called on the Iran on Monday to locate and explain them.

Report by Francois Murphy; Edited by Grant McCool and Alistair Bell

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