UN nuclear chief left Iran without agreement on factory inspection, diplomats say

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that the factory in Karaj, Iran, has resumed production of key parts for centrifuges used to enrich uranium, without monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency. . Diplomats said talks between the IAEA and Iran are ongoing.

Iran is set to resume talks with the US and other major powers in Vienna next Monday aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear capabilities, which sparked new concerns among Western officials that Iran could be carrying nuclear equipment in the future. Could turn into a secret nuclear weapons program.

Iran says its nuclear program is completely peaceful. There was no immediate comment from Iran on the outcome of the visit.

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi traveled to Tehran on Monday for a meeting with senior Iranian officials. He was hoping to gain access for his inspectors to visit Karaj and restore agency cameras, which were removed after an explosion at the plant in June. Iran has blamed Israel for the blast. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.

Two diplomats said Iran refused to offer the agency access to Karaj unless Mr Grossi dropped parts of the IAEA’s ongoing investigation into the search for unidentified nuclear material in Iran over the past two years. Mr. Grossi refused.

Diplomats said talks between the IAEA and Iran continued overnight and efforts were on to reach an agreement that could unlock access to Karaj.

Speaking to the IAEA board of governors on Wednesday, Mr. Grossi reiterated that Iran has not yet given the agency access to Karaj, despite a September 12 agreement that allows inspectors to reset cameras and other equipment related to Iranian nuclear. was to be allowed. sites. Iran says Karaj was not included in the deal.

“This is seriously affecting the agency’s ability to restore the continuity of knowledge in the workshop, which has been widely recognized as essential in relation to the withdrawal of the 2015 nuclear deal,” Grossi said.

He also said that discussions with Iran’s foreign minister and its nuclear agency chief in Tehran over the agency’s nuclear material investigation and Iran’s use of “highly aggressive physical searches” by inspectors were inconclusive.

“Despite my best efforts, these extensive talks and discussions … proved inconclusive to address the issues of Iran’s outstanding security measures,” he said.

Mr. Grossi is due to hold a press conference later on Wednesday on the sidelines of the IAEA’s Board of Governors meeting with member states.

One of the top foreign-policy goals of the Biden administration is to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers, which imposed tough, but temporary sanctions on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of most international sanctions.

However, US officials have warned that Iran’s ongoing nuclear activities are running out of time to be able to rebuild the nuclear deal. Iran has gradually breached most of the limits in the 2015 deal since former President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the deal in May 2018.