NOURNEWS - In an interview, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that the UN watchdog carried out more than 400 inspections in Iran last year.
In an interview with the Spiegel, Grossi was questioned about some claims that Iran would only need three and a half months to produce the uranium for a bomb.
"We have determined that Iran has more enriched uranium today than it did two years ago. On the other hand, the quantities are still much smaller than in 2015, when the Iran deal was agreed to," he said.
He noted that "I respect these analyses, although I do not necessarily agree."
"We must be watchful, there’s no question about that. It is just as important to see things in perspective: Even if you have the necessary amount of uranium, that does not mean that you can immediately build a nuclear weapon," he noted.
He continued: "[Iran's nuclear] activity did decrease after the signing of the nuclear deal. But it never stopped completely. This is in no way unusual for a country that has signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty, provided we exercise our control function. The Iranian nuclear program is highly sophisticated, with a nuclear power plant for which there are plans to expand, research laboratories, and enrichment facilities. That’s why we have such a vast inspection regime."
"In the past two decades, Iran has shown remarkable consistency in its nuclear activity," he underlined.
"We carried out more than 400 inspections in Iran last year," he said adding that the IAEA teams are always in Iran, 365 days a year.
Being asked if in his view the JCPOA is dead or not, he said "It is very much alive for the countries that are adhering to it. Germany, France, Britain, Russia, China, and Iran have made clear that they find the agreement enormously important. There is a dispute because three Western countries claim Iran is violating it. Iran, in turn, is complaining of misconduct on the part of the other side. No one is doing anything - everyone wants us to continue with inspections."
NOURNEWS