U.n. Nuclear Watchdog Says It's Unable To Verify Whether Iran Has Suspended All Uranium Enrichment

VIENNA — Iran has not allowed nan United Nations atomic agency entree to its atomic accommodation bombed by Iran and nan United States during a 12-day warfare successful June, according to a confidential study by nan watchdog circulated to personnel states and seen Friday by The Associated Press.

The study from nan International Atomic Energy Agency stressed that it “cannot verify whether Iran has suspended each enrichment-related activities,” aliases nan “size of Iran’s uranium stockpile astatine nan affected atomic facilities.”

Iran has 4 declared enrichment facilities, but nan study warned that because of nan deficiency of access, nan IAEA “cannot supply immoderate accusation connected nan existent size, creation aliases whereabouts of nan stockpile of enriched uranium successful Iran.”

The study stressed that nan “loss of continuity of knowledge ... needs to beryllium addressed pinch nan utmost urgency.”

Iran has agelong insisted its programme is peaceful, but nan IAEA and Western nations opportunity Tehran had an organized atomic weapons programme up until 2003. The U.S. is seeking a woody to limit Iran’s atomic programme and guarantee it does not create atomic weapons.

Highly enriched worldly should beryllium verified regularly

The IAEA reported that Iran had informed nan agency successful a missive dated Feb. 2 that normal safeguards were “legally untenable and materially impracticable,” arsenic a consequence of threats and ”acts of aggression.”

The confidential study besides said Friday that Iran did supply entree to IAEA inspectors “to each of nan unaffected atomic accommodation astatine slightest once” since June 2025, pinch nan objection of a powerfulness works astatine Karun that is nether construction.

Iran is legally obliged to cooperate pinch nan IAEA nether nan Treaty connected nan Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, but suspended each practice aft nan warfare pinch Israel.

According to nan IAEA, Iran maintains a stockpile of 972 pounds of uranium enriched up to 60% purity — a short, method measurement distant from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

That stockpile could let Iran to build arsenic galore arsenic 10 atomic bombs, should it determine to weaponize its program, IAEA head wide Rafael Grossi warned successful a caller question and reply pinch nan AP. He added that it doesn’t mean that Iran has specified a weapon.

Such highly enriched atomic worldly should usually beryllium verified each month, according to nan IAEA’s guidelines.

IAEA observes activity astir atomic sites

In nan absence of nonstop entree to nan atomic sites, nan IAEA turned to commercially disposable outer imagery.

Observation of nan Isfahan facility, immoderate 215 miles southeast of Tehran, showed “regular vehicular activity” astir nan entranceway to a passageway analyzable utilized to shop enriched material, nan study said.

Isfahan was struck by some Israel and nan United States successful June.

The IAEA said it besides observed activity astatine nan enrichment sites successful Natanz and Fordow, but added that “without entree to these accommodation it is not imaginable for nan Agency to corroborate nan quality and nan intent of nan activities.”

IAEA joined Geneva talks

The IAEA reported connected Friday that Grossi attended negotiations betwixt nan U.S. and Iran connected Feb. 17 and Feb. 26 successful Geneva astatine which he “provided advice” connected nan verification of Iran’s atomic program. The study said that those negotiations are “ongoing.”

Thursday’s talks, nan 3rd information this twelvemonth nether Omani mediation, ended without a deal, leaving nan threat of different Mideast warfare connected nan array arsenic nan U.S. has gathered a monolithic fleet of craft and warships successful nan region.

An Omani charismatic said lower-level method talks would proceed adjacent week successful Vienna, nan location of nan IAEA. The agency is apt to beryllium captious successful immoderate deal.

Iran says it is not pursuing weapons and has truthful acold resisted demands that it halt uranium enrichment connected its ungraded aliases manus complete its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Similar talks past twelvemonth betwixt nan U.S. and Iran astir Iran’s atomic programme collapsed down aft nan commencement of nan warfare successful June. Before then, Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity.

Liechtenstein writes for nan Associated Press.