Uranium Traces Found in Iran Simultaneously with Colonel Fruta's Visit to Tehran
In a meeting with Iranian officials, acting head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Cornel Feruta, stressed that the agency's role is verification and that its approach is independent. At the same time, Reuters reported the discovery of uranium at a site in Iran.
On Sunday, September 8, IAEA Acting Director General Cornel Feruta met with Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iranian Foreign Minister, during a visit to Tehran. The visit coincides with Iran’s third step in reducing its commitments under the JCPOA.
In a meeting with Ali Akbar Salehi, Colonel Fruta said that the organization is willing to continue its cooperation with Iran. He emphasized the task of verifying the implementation of the JCPOA while emphasizing the neutrality of the organization. Following the meeting, the IAEA issued a statement that stated:
“The discussions included the IAEA’s activities in Iran, with an emphasis on the ongoing engagement between the Agency and Iran on the implementation of the Safeguards Treaty and its Additional Protocol. The Acting Director General of the Agency stressed that full and timely cooperation with Iran is essential for these engagements. Frota also said that safeguards activities are conducted in an impartial, independent, reasonable and consistent manner, in accordance with safeguards procedures.”
After the meeting, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said in a press conference that the JCPOA “was supposed to be a two-way street, and in these circumstances it is a one-way street,” adding that “Iran will make the appropriate decisions at the appropriate times.”
Uranium discovered in a location in Iran
The meeting coincided with a Reuters report, citing unnamed diplomats, that international inspectors had taken samples from a site in Iran that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had described as a “secret nuclear depot” a year ago. Last September, Netanyahu said that Iran had removed 15 kilograms of radioactive material from a facility in August.
According to this claim, Iran has spread these materials in various areas in Tehran to hide them. The Israeli Prime Minister had mentioned "Toqozabad" on the outskirts of Tehran.
One of the diplomats told Reuters that the uranium found was not enriched. According to the same report, Iran has not yet explained why the uranium traces were present at the site. The discovery of the uranium traces occurred before inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency visited the site. Reuters wrote that the agency had been monitoring the site since April and had sent samples from there.
Before the IAEA Acting Director General's visit to Iran, US President Donald Trump's National Security Advisor John Bolton wrote on Twitter that the United States and other members of the IAEA Board of Governors were "eagerly awaiting the full report of this visit." Referring to Iran's "non-public activities in the field of nuclear energy," he said that the reason for the IAEA Acting Director General's visit was information that the IAEA had provided to the Board of Governors.
During his visit, the acting Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency also held talks with Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to IRNA, the Iranian Foreign Minister emphasized in this meeting "the necessity of observing professional principles, maintaining confidentiality, and carrying out the Agency's duties impartially."
Iran began the third phase of reducing its JCPOA commitments on Saturday, September 7. Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said: “Iran has started gassing IR6 machines in a chain of 20 since yesterday and will carry out a chain of 30 in the next program.”
Despite this, the Islamic Republic has announced that there will be no changes to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s monitoring. Kamalvandi also said that Colonel Fruta’s visit is “in accordance with a pre-arranged plan and invitation.”
Source: DW
