UN nuclear agency demands answers and access from Iran
The board of directors of the UN nuclear watchdog has adopted a resolution saying Iran must inform the watchdog “without delay” about the status of its enriched uranium stockpile and bombed atomic sites.
The purpose of the resolution is primarily to renew and adjust the International Atomic Energy Agency’s authority to report on various aspects of Iran’s nuclear program, but it also states that Iran must quickly provide the IAEA with the responses and access it seeks five months after Israeli and US military strikes.
Iran, which says its nuclear ambitions are entirely peaceful, warned before the United States and Europe’s three largest powers presented this resolution that the resolution, if passed, would “negatively affect” Tehran’s cooperation with the institution.
“Iran must provide the agency without delay with accurate information on nuclear material accounting and protected nuclear facilities in Iran and provide the Agency with all access it needs to verify this information,” the draft decision submitted to the board and seen by Reuters said. It was said.
Diplomats said the resolution was adopted with 19 votes in favour, 3 against and 12 abstentions.
Russia, China and Niger were the countries that opposed this.
Iran still has not allowed inspectors into the nuclear sites that Israel and the US bombed in June, and the IAEA says accounting for Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium containing near-weapons-grade materials is “long overdue” and the issue must be addressed “urgently”.
The IAEA cannot inspect bombed facilities or verify Iran’s uranium stockpile until it provides an updated report on what happened to Iran.
Among the bombed areas were Iran’s three enrichment facilities that were operating at the time.
When Israel first bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities on June 13, the IAEA estimated that Iran had 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity; That’s a step short of roughly 90 percent of the weapon’s class, and in a form that could easily be enhanced further.
Iran says it can enrich itself to any level it wishes for its peaceful purposes.
According to IAEA criteria, this amount of uranium is, in principle, enough material for 10 nuclear bombs if it were to be further enriched.
Western powers say there is no civilian explanation for such high levels of enrichment, and the IAEA says the production and storage of so much is “a matter of serious concern”.
