Tougher IAEA Inspection Quite Natural: Iran’s Nuclear Chief
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami tamped down media controversy over the new plans for the UN nuclear agency to toughen the monitoring of Iran’s nuclear activities, describing it as part of an ordinary course.
Speaking to reporters in Tehran on Saturday, Eslami commented on Iran’s recent decision to approve of tougher safeguards measures by the IAEA, such as inspections, at the Fordow uranium enrichment facility.
He said it is totally natural for a country with nuclear activities to allow a change in the level of monitoring when a change in the scale of enrichment takes place.
Eslami said Iran has decided to increase the uranium enrichment capacity and so the frequency of IAEA inspections would naturally grow as well.
“We are acting within the framework of the IAEA, which oversees Iran’s activities. It is natural that when, for example, three (uranium enrichment) units increase to five units, the monitoring will proportionally increase,” he noted.
Eslami stated that the IAEA is overseeing Iran’s nuclear activities in accordance with the Safeguards Agreement and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) without any restriction.
On Thursday, the IAEA said in a confidential report to member states that Iran has agreed to the Agency's request to increase the frequency and intensity of the implementation of safeguards measures at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP) and is facilitating the implementation of this strengthened safeguards approach.
Last week the UN nuclear agency reported that Iran had multiplied the pace of its enrichment to up to 60% purity at Fordow.
