The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, responded to questions regarding the Iranian nuclear activities at the agency’s Board of Governors meeting which was held in Austria’s capital, Vienna, where the headquarters of the UN body is located.
In his statement, Grossi briefed the Board regarding the point which has been reached in negotiations with Iran about the finding of nuclear materials in undeclared nuclear sites in Iran. The Director-General noted that the Iranian authorities had not provided any explanation against the IAEA’s questions regarding the issue.
He also added that Iranian unresponsiveness against the agency’s requests for information about Tehran’s nuclear program had raised concerns regarding the trustfulness of the nuclear program’s peaceful nature, which Iran has insistently claimed.
“Iran has provided no new information in relation to one location, has not answered any of the agency’s questions nor provided any information in relation to two other locations, and provided a written statement on a fourth location without any substantiating documentation,” the Director-General said.
Complaining about Iran’s decision to stop obeying the rules which were regulated under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the Additional Protocol, which allows the agency to monitor nuclear sites in Iran, Grossi said this situation makes it difficult for monitoring activities to be maintained.
In March, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog expressed his concerns regarding the discovery of multiple uranium particles in several nuclear sites in Iran, which were not submitted to the IAEA. Stating that the agency requested an immediate explanation from the Iranian authorities related to the issue, Grossi also noted that Iran had failed to respond to the requests so far.
Another issue that Grossi has discussed during the meeting was the monitoring deal which its expiration is approaching. Once he was asked how likely it is that the two sides will again extend the agreement later this month, Grossi responded, “I think it’s becoming increasingly difficult.”
In May, following the end of the monitoring deal’s duration which was signed between Iran and the IAEA last February, Iran’s envoy to the IAEA, Kazem Gharibabadi, announced that his country had extended the deal for a month.
