The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today that he was “very concerned” about the situation in Iran, denouncing a lack of co-operation amid a stalemate in talks to rescue the 2015 deal.
The IAEA, based in Vienna, is “trying to clarify a number of outstanding issues,” Rafael Grossi told a committee of the European Parliament.
“I am referring to the fact that in recent months we have been able to locate traces of enriched uranium in places that have never been declared by Iran to be hosting any nuclear activity,” he said.
“We are extremely concerned (…) The situation does not seem to be very favorable. For the time being, Iran has not shown that it is willing to provide the information we need,” said the head of the UN nuclear watchdog.
Many facilities have long been the subject of research by the IAEA. In early March, Grossi had traveled to Iran over the issue, with the Islamic Republic calling for the case to be closed.
Finally, the two sides agreed to exchange documents to resolve the issue by June.
The remarks come as European Union negotiator Enrique Mora, who has been tasked with coordinating talks on Iran’s nuclear program, is expected in Tehran today to try to restart the process.
“As you know, the talks are at a break (…) some would say a stalemate, others a freeze,” the IAEA official said, adding that he “still hopes that an agreement will be reached within a reasonable time if “We have to admit that the window of opportunity can be closed at any time,” he warned.
Iran and the United States have been engaged for more than a year in indirect negotiations in Vienna to revive the 2015 agreement aimed at preventing the Islamic Republic from building an atomic bomb – which it denies it wants to acquire.
The other parts of the agreement (Germany, China, France, Britain, Russia) also participate in them.
The diplomats, however, left Vienna on March 11 for a “break” and since then Tehran and Washington have blamed each other for the involvement.
SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
Source: Capital
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