UN watchdog IAEA closes two probes at Iran nuclear sites
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Salma Hossein
- . June 1, 2023
- . Update: June 1, 2023 7:41 pm
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a United Nations (UN) watchdog, has closed its investigation of the suspected nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Also Read – IAEA terminated two lines of inquiry into Iran’s nuclear programme
According to IAEA reports, the nuclear agency has resolved two outstanding inquiries about the highly enriched uranium particles and a site where man-made uranium was found. IAEA said that Iran gave possible explanations about the uranium particles found at the site in Iran.
The two confidential quarterly reports by the IAEA revealed that inspectors had no questions about uranium particles found to be enriched to 83.7% at an underground Fordow plant in Iran.
The IAEA report read, “The agency informed Iran that, following its evaluation of the data, the agency had assessed that the information provided was not inconsistent with Iran’s explanation.”
IAEA also closed the probe of traces of man-made uranium found at Marivan, near Abadeh. IAEA said that “the matter is no longer outstanding at this stage.”
In 2019, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exposed the Iranian site. He claimed that it was a secret nuclear site. Iran has repeatedly said that the uranium traces might have come from “laboratory instruments and equipment.”
The IAEA said in its report that it could be “a possible explanation.” It said, “The agency at this time has no additional questions on the depleted uranium particles detected at Marivan.”
In its second report, IAEA said that Iran increased its stockpile of enriched uranium in recent months. Reportedly, as of May 13, Iran’s total enriched uranium stockpile was at 4,744.5 kilograms.
Also Read – Iranian Nuclear Enrichment Could Ignite The Region: Israeli Defence Minister
Under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran agreed to limit its uranium stockpile to 300 kilograms (661 pounds). However, the United States’ (US) unilateral withdrawal from the deal in 2018 increased tensions between Iran and world powers. Iran started escalating its nuclear program.
