On March 4, the seasonal meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, the capital of Austria, commenced. Rafael Grossi, the Director-General of the Agency, reported an increase in Iran’s enriched uranium reserves and criticized Tehran’s approach in reducing cooperation with the Agency.
In his report to the IAEA Board of Governors, Grossi said that Iran’s enriched uranium reserves are still increasing, although the level of enriched uranium has slightly decreased to 60%.
Earlier, the Board of Governors had urged Iran to cooperate with the IAEA in investigating uranium particles found at undisclosed sites and provide “immediate and necessary” explanations.
Since then, the number of undisclosed sites under scrutiny has reduced from three to two, adding to the challenges between the Agency and Iran.
Rafael Grossi mentioned in his report that after three years since Tehran’s decision to halt the implementation of the Additional Protocol, no progress has been made in resolving the remaining outstanding issues.
The Iranian regime has not provided valid technical explanations to the Agency regarding the presence of human-origin uranium particles in Varamin and Turquzabad (southern Tehran), and the Agency remains uninformed about the current locations of nuclear materials or contaminated equipment.
Iran’s regime has also halted the Agency’s access to the data from surveillance cameras at nuclear sites and has stopped issuing permits for some inspectors.
Western restraint from confrontation with Iran at the Agency meeting
Meanwhile, Reuters reported on March 4, citing Western diplomats who wished to remain anonymous, that the United States does not want to escalate diplomatic tensions with Iran by approving another resolution against the Iranian regime in the Board of Governors, given the Middle East conflict.
Diplomats stated that passing a resolution could convey a “wrong message” leading to dangerous miscalculations. They added that the region is in a precarious situation, with no ceasefire or solution for Gaza, no prospect for a nuclear agreement, and the United States is also facing presidential elections.
Diplomats also told Reuters that three European countries, France, Britain, and Germany, in coordination with the United States, have drafted a resolution and insist on its approval. These sources added that Washington opposes Iran’s nuclear program by adopting a tough stance.
The regime’s officials have repeatedly claimed that the country’s nuclear program is peaceful and not aimed at acquiring nuclear weapons.
Rafael Grossi had previously warned that Iran’s enriched uranium reserves have reached 27 times more than the limit set by the global powers’ nuclear agreement, known as the “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action” (JCPOA).
