US Response to IAEA’s Installation of New Cameras at Karaj Centrifuge Facility
Iran’s agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency over the installation of new cameras at the Karaj centrifuge facility has generated international reactions. The United States stated that with this agreement, there is no longer a need to convene the Board of Governors. The UN Secretary-General welcomed this agreement.
Reuters reported on the new agreement between the Islamic Republic and the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding the replacement of cameras at the Karaj facility, stating that one of the potential obstacles to broader nuclear negotiations has been removed.
The United States had threatened to lodge a complaint against Iran with the IAEA Board of Governors if the Islamic Republic did not agree to the installation of cameras.
Following the announcement of the agreement between Iran and the IAEA, Reuters quoted an unnamed US official as saying that if Tehran follows through on its commitments, Washington would not see a need to hold a special meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors for the remainder of the current year.
In concluding its report, Reuters quoted Henry Rim, analyst at the Eurasia Group, saying that the agreement between the Islamic Republic and the IAEA was a “tactical move to prevent a short-term diplomatic crisis, but the broader nuclear deal deadlock remains.”
IAEA: Cameras to Be Installed Soon
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, announced on Wednesday, December 24 (December 15) via a Twitter message the agreement between the IAEA and Iran on the installation of surveillance cameras at the Karaj centrifuge facility.
In his tweet, he stated that this agreement is very important for verification and work will continue to address other important issues.
The International Atomic Energy Agency announced in a statement that the new cameras will be installed in the coming days.
Guterres Welcomes Iran-IAEA Agreement
Tasnim News Agency reported on a phone conversation between António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, and Hossein Amirabdollahian, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic.
According to the report, Guterres told Amirabdollahian that “the agreement between Iran and the IAEA will have a positive impact on the confidence-building process in Vienna negotiations,” and he will use all tools of the United Nations to ensure that nuclear negotiations produce positive results.
Russia: Iran-IAEA Agreement is Real Progress
Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s Permanent Representative to International Organizations based in Vienna, also welcomed the recent agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the installation of new cameras at the Karaj nuclear facility, referring to it as “real progress.”
Ulyanov wrote on his Twitter account: “The agreement between Iran and Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, regarding the Karaj nuclear facility is a very valuable contribution to Vienna negotiations for the revival of the JCPOA.”
Iran Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA) Facility in Karaj
The Iran Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA) facility is located in Karaj and is dedicated to the manufacturing of centrifuge components. Iran’s advanced centrifuges, which have recently been employed for high uranium enrichment, appear to have been designed and manufactured at this same facility.
This facility was targeted in an apparent “unmanned aerial sabotage attack” in early June of the current year, during which one of four IAEA cameras at the site was damaged. Following that incident, Iran did not cooperate with the IAEA regarding the replacement of the damaged cameras or the replacement of their memory cards, and even excluded them from the scope of its agreement with the Agency. There was speculation in Tehran that the attack on TESA may have been made possible through hacking of the IAEA cameras.
