International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said Friday that the interim agreement between the United States and Iran includes provisions for IAEA inspectors to access Iran’s nuclear programme for verification purposes.
Speaking at a press conference in Japan on Friday (26 June), Grossi said: “A deal has been reached. For that deal to be implemented, IAEA must be granted access and inspection rights. We hope to go there very soon.”
However, before Grossi made his remarks, Iran signalled it would not open its major nuclear facilities to international inspectors until a final agreement with Washington is concluded and sanctions are lifted. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed on Wednesday that there are currently no plans to grant access.
Grossi said the core aim of the deal is to ensure Iran does not develop nuclear weapons. While Iran has repeatedly insisted its nuclear programme has no weapons objectives, Grossi said declarations of intent are insufficient. “Declarations of intent are not enough. We need a robust and credible verification mechanism,” he said, adding that such a mechanism should be put in place as quickly as possible in the aftermath of the recent Middle East conflict.
The IAEA chief said inspectors had already held preliminary technical discussions with Iranian officials. The first priority of a visit to Iran would be to verify that IAEA seals placed on nuclear materials are intact and to check whether any nuclear material has gone missing.
Iran has not yet provided the IAEA with information on how much enriched uranium remains intact following recent strikes by the United States and Israel, or where the material is being held.
According to IAEA data, before the recent conflict began, Iran held 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 60 per cent. By the agency’s calculations, that stockpile, if further enriched, could theoretically be sufficient for approximately 10 nuclear weapons.
Last week, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding that opened a 60-day window for negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme and other complex outstanding issues.
Grossi said verifying that Iran’s nuclear programme is being conducted for peaceful purposes and that no nuclear material has been diverted is of the utmost importance.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report