Tehran: Iran On Wednesday, two surveillance tools used by UN inspectors to monitor the Islamic Republic’s uranium enrichment were shut down, adding to the crisis over its nuclear program as Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers falters.
The move appeared as a new pressure technique just ahead of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board of governors meeting in Vienna to approve a proposal by Western nations to criticize Iran. This sensor refers to Iran’s failure to provide “reliable information” on nuclear material found at undeclared sites across the country.
But Iran’s latest move, announced by state television, has made it even more difficult for inspectors to monitor Tehran’s nuclear program. Non-proliferation experts have warned that Iran now has enough uranium-rich near weapons levels to pursue a nuclear bomb if it chooses to do so.
The State TV report, which was later repeated by other Iranian media, said officials had “disabled online enrichment monitors and flowmeters—beyond measuring—security cameras.” it clearly refers to IAEAOnline monitors of uranium gas enrichment through piping at enrichment facilities.
In 2016, the IAEA said it installed equipment for the first time at Iran’s underground Natanz nuclear facility, its main enrichment site, located about 200 kilometers (125 mi) south of the capital Tehran. The device allowed “near-clock monitoring” of the facility’s cascade, a series of centrifuges linked together to rapidly spin the uranium gas to enrich it.
“Traditional methods of sampling and analysis can take three weeks or more, most of the time it takes to send a sample from Iran to the IAEA’s laboratories in Austria,” the agency said at the time.
Iran is also enriching uranium at its underground Fordo facility, although the IAEA is not known to have installed these equipment there.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has so far had extensive cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency,” state TV said in its report on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, the agency not only appreciated this cooperation without considering it, but also considered it a duty of Iran.”
Tehran said its civilian nuclear arm, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, monitored the shutdown of the cameras. It said 80% of existing cameras are IAEA “safe” cameras and they will continue to operate as before. Safeguards refer to the IAEA’s oversight and monitoring of a country’s nuclear program.
The Vienna-based IAEA declined to comment immediately. However, Iran’s move comes after IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi criticized Iran for failing to provide “credible information” about unexplained nuclear material discovered at three undisclosed Iranian sites – between the agency and Tehran. Long a point of contention.
An IAEA report released late on Wednesday identified the Iranian sites as Turkazabad and Varamin, near the city of Abadeh, and outside Tehran. The report said that Iran alleged that the scars came from “sabotage” by a third country, with the IAEA saying Tehran provided no evidence to support it.
Iran is already holding footage from IAEA surveillance cameras from February 2021 as a pressure tactic to restore the nuclear deal.
Iran and world powers agreed to a nuclear deal in 2015, with Tehran substantially limiting its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. President in 2018 Donald Trump The United States unilaterally withdrew from the agreement, raising tensions in the wider Middle East and sparking a series of attacks and incidents.
Negotiations on Iran’s nuclear deal in Vienna have been stalled since April. Since the collapse of the deal, Iran runs advanced centrifuges and has rapidly growing reserves of enriched uranium. Nonproliferation experts warn that Iran has enriched enough to 60% purity – a small technological step up from the 90% level of weapons-grade – to create a nuclear weapon should it decide to do so.
Iran insists that its program is for peaceful purposes, although UN experts and Western intelligence agencies say Iran had an organized military nuclear program as far back as 2003.
Analysts say it will still take longer to build a nuclear bomb if it pursues a weapon, though they warn that Tehran’s progress makes the program more dangerous. Israel has threatened in the past that it would conduct a preemptive strike to deter Iran – and is already suspected in a series of recent killings targeting Iranian officials.
Russian President Vladimir Putin Called Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi on Wednesday and discussed the need to revive the nuclear deal Kremlin Told.
At the IAEA meeting in Vienna, sponsored by Germany, France, Britain and the US, the censure motion was passed with the support of 30 of the 35 governors. Russia and China voted against it, Russian ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov wrote on Twitter. India, Libya and Pakistan did not participate.
After the vote, a joint statement from France, Germany and the UK and US said that the condemnation “sends a clear message to Iran that it must meet its security measures and provide a technically credible explanation on the issues of outstanding security measures”. should do.”
Meanwhile Iran’s foreign ministry criticized the condemnation as “political, incorrect and unstructured action”.
An Iranian official previously warned IAEA officials that Tehran was now considering taking “other measures”.
“We hope they will come to their senses and respond to Iran’s cooperation with cooperation,” said Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi. “It is not acceptable that they show inappropriate behavior while Iran continues to cooperate.”
On Wednesday night, a drone exploded in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil in its Kurdish region, leaving three people with minor injuries and damage to cars and a nearby restaurant, officials said. Although no one immediately claimed the attack, Iran has in the past targeted Erbil amid regional tensions.
The move appeared as a new pressure technique just ahead of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board of governors meeting in Vienna to approve a proposal by Western nations to criticize Iran. This sensor refers to Iran’s failure to provide “reliable information” on nuclear material found at undeclared sites across the country.
But Iran’s latest move, announced by state television, has made it even more difficult for inspectors to monitor Tehran’s nuclear program. Non-proliferation experts have warned that Iran now has enough uranium-rich near weapons levels to pursue a nuclear bomb if it chooses to do so.
The State TV report, which was later repeated by other Iranian media, said officials had “disabled online enrichment monitors and flowmeters—beyond measuring—security cameras.” it clearly refers to IAEAOnline monitors of uranium gas enrichment through piping at enrichment facilities.
In 2016, the IAEA said it installed equipment for the first time at Iran’s underground Natanz nuclear facility, its main enrichment site, located about 200 kilometers (125 mi) south of the capital Tehran. The device allowed “near-clock monitoring” of the facility’s cascade, a series of centrifuges linked together to rapidly spin the uranium gas to enrich it.
“Traditional methods of sampling and analysis can take three weeks or more, most of the time it takes to send a sample from Iran to the IAEA’s laboratories in Austria,” the agency said at the time.
Iran is also enriching uranium at its underground Fordo facility, although the IAEA is not known to have installed these equipment there.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has so far had extensive cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency,” state TV said in its report on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, the agency not only appreciated this cooperation without considering it, but also considered it a duty of Iran.”
Tehran said its civilian nuclear arm, Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, monitored the shutdown of the cameras. It said 80% of existing cameras are IAEA “safe” cameras and they will continue to operate as before. Safeguards refer to the IAEA’s oversight and monitoring of a country’s nuclear program.
The Vienna-based IAEA declined to comment immediately. However, Iran’s move comes after IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi criticized Iran for failing to provide “credible information” about unexplained nuclear material discovered at three undisclosed Iranian sites – between the agency and Tehran. Long a point of contention.
An IAEA report released late on Wednesday identified the Iranian sites as Turkazabad and Varamin, near the city of Abadeh, and outside Tehran. The report said that Iran alleged that the scars came from “sabotage” by a third country, with the IAEA saying Tehran provided no evidence to support it.
Iran is already holding footage from IAEA surveillance cameras from February 2021 as a pressure tactic to restore the nuclear deal.
Iran and world powers agreed to a nuclear deal in 2015, with Tehran substantially limiting its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. President in 2018 Donald Trump The United States unilaterally withdrew from the agreement, raising tensions in the wider Middle East and sparking a series of attacks and incidents.
Negotiations on Iran’s nuclear deal in Vienna have been stalled since April. Since the collapse of the deal, Iran runs advanced centrifuges and has rapidly growing reserves of enriched uranium. Nonproliferation experts warn that Iran has enriched enough to 60% purity – a small technological step up from the 90% level of weapons-grade – to create a nuclear weapon should it decide to do so.
Iran insists that its program is for peaceful purposes, although UN experts and Western intelligence agencies say Iran had an organized military nuclear program as far back as 2003.
Analysts say it will still take longer to build a nuclear bomb if it pursues a weapon, though they warn that Tehran’s progress makes the program more dangerous. Israel has threatened in the past that it would conduct a preemptive strike to deter Iran – and is already suspected in a series of recent killings targeting Iranian officials.
Russian President Vladimir Putin Called Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi on Wednesday and discussed the need to revive the nuclear deal Kremlin Told.
At the IAEA meeting in Vienna, sponsored by Germany, France, Britain and the US, the censure motion was passed with the support of 30 of the 35 governors. Russia and China voted against it, Russian ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov wrote on Twitter. India, Libya and Pakistan did not participate.
After the vote, a joint statement from France, Germany and the UK and US said that the condemnation “sends a clear message to Iran that it must meet its security measures and provide a technically credible explanation on the issues of outstanding security measures”. should do.”
Meanwhile Iran’s foreign ministry criticized the condemnation as “political, incorrect and unstructured action”.
An Iranian official previously warned IAEA officials that Tehran was now considering taking “other measures”.
“We hope they will come to their senses and respond to Iran’s cooperation with cooperation,” said Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi. “It is not acceptable that they show inappropriate behavior while Iran continues to cooperate.”
On Wednesday night, a drone exploded in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil in its Kurdish region, leaving three people with minor injuries and damage to cars and a nearby restaurant, officials said. Although no one immediately claimed the attack, Iran has in the past targeted Erbil amid regional tensions.