The IAEA says it is discussing enrichment with Iran as Tehran says the agency is being used as a “political tool”.
Tehran, Iran – Iran has denied intentionally enriching uranium to 84% purity amid ongoing disputes and disagreements with global nuclear watchdogs over the 2015 nuclear deal.
Bloomberg, a U.S.-based financial news agency, said Sunday that inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have found uranium enriched to 84 percent purity, just below the 90 percent required for bombs. and are trying to determine whether it is enriched. intentionally produced.
It is the purest uranium ever discovered in Iran and has been gradually enriched since 2019. US unilateral withdrawal from nuclear agreements with world powers, and Declare up to 60 percent enrichmentIranian officials say they are not seeking nuclear weapons.
“The IAEA is aware of recent media reports on Iran’s uranium enrichment,” the IAEA wrote on Twitter early Monday. “@rafaelmgrossi has been discussing the results of recent IAEA verification activities with Iran and will notify the IAEA Board of Governors as appropriate.”
A spokesperson for the Iran Atomic Energy Agency, Bellouz Kamalbandi, told the state-run Farz News website late Sunday that inspectors had found particles with more than 60 percent purity, but that had happened before. It was normal.
“The presence of more than 60% pure uranium particles during the enrichment process does not mean that more than 60% enrichment has occurred,” he said.
“This is quite natural and can even occur as a result of a temporary reduction in the feed of the centrifuge cascade. I am not trying to get rich.
Such matters, according to Kamalvandi, were not even reported by the agency to its member states, so the fact that it was leaked to the Western media was a major concern because it “taints and distorts the facts.” It was shown that the efforts of
The spokesperson also reiterated Iran’s accusations that the agency is being used as a “political tool” to pressure Iran in classified reports previously leaked to Western media.
Iran and the IAEA last clashed earlier this month. leaked secret agency report It said the interconnection between two cascades of advanced IR-6 centrifuges at Fordow’s sensitive underground site was changed without notice.
Iran, Start concentration up to 60% with Fordow Last November, the report was dismissed as “incorrect” in response to a condemning resolution passed by the IAEA Board of Governors.
Western powers in the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), have repeatedly called on Iran to fully cooperate with the agency and restore full surveillance access.
The issue was also raised in a phone call between European Union Foreign Policy Secretary Josep Borrell and Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amiravdrahian on Sunday, both confirmed in a tweet.
talked with @Amirabdolahian.
I reiterated the EU’s position on Iran’s actions. Stop human rights abuses, stop supporting Russia’s war of aggression, stop unjustly detaining EU citizens.
Iran urgently needs to cooperate @iaeaorg.
— Josep Borrell Fonteles (@JosepBorrellF) February 19, 2023
on the phone tonight @Josep BorrellF We discussed the relationship between Iran and the EU, the JCPOA, cooperation between Iran and the IAEA, and the development of Ukraine. IRIran emphasized his dependence on people, and that was proven again this year on his February 11th (National Day).
— H.Amirabdollahian امیرعبداللهیان (@Amirabdolahian) February 19, 2023
Efforts to restore the nuclear deal have made little progress since September, when Western parties accused Iran of derailing talks.
Since then they have imposed several sanctions About Iranian Officials and Entities sell drones to russia For the war in Ukraine and the crackdown on anti-government demonstrations.
Tehran says it wants a deal and accuses the West of lacking political will.
Russia and China are also part of the JCPOA.