IAEA chief meets with Iran amid enrichment fears

The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, listens to a question during a joint press conference with the director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Eslami (not pictured), in Tehran, on 4 March 2023. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency met with officials in Iran on Saturday, days after it was revealed that the Islamic Republic had enriched uranium particles to a degree close to what was necessary. for an atomic weapon, prompting renewed concern over its disputed nuclear program.

During a press conference with the head of Iran’s nuclear program, Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), refused to comment on his conversations with local officials, claiming that the agency’s delegation was still working.

“There is a working environment, one of honesty and cooperation,” Grossi said. He is expected to speak to reporters again on his return to Vienna later on Saturday.

Earlier this week, the IAEA reported that uranium particles enriched to 83.7% were found at the Fordo underground nuclear plant, which is close to the 90% purity necessary to manufacture an atomic weapon.

The IAEA’s confidential quarterly report, which was distributed to member states on Tuesday, was released at a time of heightened tension due to anti-government protests that have rocked Iran for months and Western anger over the sale of attack drones to Russian forces in Ukraine.

According to the report, UN agency inspectors discovered in January that two cascades of Fordo IR-6 centrifuges had been configured “substantially different” than previously declared. Particles with a purity of up to 83.7% appeared in samples taken the next day, he added.

The document spoke only of “particles”, which suggests that Iran would not have a reserve of uranium enriched above 60%, the level reported by Tehran some time ago.

Iran has tried to present the finding of highly enriched uranium particles as a momentary side effect of its efforts to achieve a product with a final 60% purity. But experts say such a breakthrough in purity, even at the atomic level, would arouse suspicion among inspectors.

The head of Iran’s nuclear program, Mohammad Eslami, acknowledged the conclusions of the IAEA report during the press conference with Grossi, but said that did not equate to 84% enrichment and claimed that the “ambiguity” of the conclusions had been resolved.

The Islamic Republic now produces uranium enriched to 60% purity, a level that nuclear nonproliferation experts say has no civilian use for Tehran.

The deal reached in 2015 by Tehran and the nuclear powers limited Iran’s enrichment capacity to 3.67%, enough to power a nuclear power plant. The United States unilaterally left the pact in 2018, and recent efforts to revive it have stalled since last summer.

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