Iran on Saturday slammed the United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi after the company in a report raised issues over substantial covert modifications to gear at its Fordo uranium enrichment plant with out prior discover, state media reported.
The criticism of Grossi comes after the International Atomic Energy Agency director-general mentioned he plans to go to Tehran in February for talks on getting it to extend cooperation over its actions, amid stalled negotiations to revive a landmark deal over Iran’s nuclear program.
The IAEA mentioned in a confidential report seen by Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Wednesday that Iran had considerably modified an interconnection between two centrifuge clusters enriching uranium to as much as 60% at Fordo Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), with out giving prior discover.
Iran mentioned later an inspector had “inadvertently” reported the modifications, and that Grossi had issued the report regardless of the matter being resolved – a response that the United States and its allies criticized as “inadequate.”
“We gave a letter to the agency that an inspector… made a mistake and gave an incorrect report,” Mohamad Eslami, the pinnacle of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was quoted as saying by state news company IRNA.
“But yet again the director-general of the agency released this issue to the media,” he mentioned, labelling it “unprofessional and unacceptable” conduct. “We hope that this practice will not be continued… because this is not acceptable for his reputation and the agency.”
The IAEA had mentioned that in an unannounced Fordo inspection on Jan. 21 it discovered “two IR-6 centrifuge cascades… were interconnected in a way that was substantially different from the mode of operation declared by Iran to the agency.”
Since late final 12 months, the 2 cascades had been used to supply uranium enriched to as much as 60%, the report back to member states added.
In the report, Grossi expressed concern that Iran had “implemented a substantial change in the design information of FFEP in relation to the production of high enriched uranium without informing the agency in advance.”
In an announcement on Friday, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany mentioned Iran’s response to the report was “inadequate.”
“Iranian claims that this action was carried out in error are inadequate,” they mentioned. “We judge Iran’s actions based on the impartial and objective reports of the IAEA, not Iran’s purported intent.”
Grossi instructed the European Parliament on Jan. 24 that he plans to go to Tehran this month “for a much-needed political dialogue, or reestablishment thereof, with Iran.” The IAEA chief famous the “big, big impasse” on the Iran nuclear deal, formally often known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The take care of world powers collapsed after the U.S. withdrew from it in 2018 below former president Donald Trump.
Negotiations that began in April 2021 to revive the settlement have since stalled.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
