Abu Dhabi
CNN
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Diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said nuclear weapons development should restart, warning that Tehran had accumulated enough material for “some nuclear weapons”. nuclear weapons.”
Speaking ahead of a scheduled visit to Tehran, Mr. Grossi told a subcommittee of the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday that Iran has not yet built a nuclear weapon and that the West should step up efforts to prevent it. that.
Uranium enriched to more than 90% can be weaponized. According to Grossi, Iran has 70 kilograms (154 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity and 1,000 kilograms at 20 percent purity.
The head of the IAEA will travel to Tehran in February for a “much-needed political dialogue” despite the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a nuclear deal signed with Iran in 2015, that is ” in very bad condition,” he said.
Grossi described the JCPOA as “an empty shell,” saying that the diplomacy involved in reviving the 2015 nuclear deal was almost non-existent.
“Nobody declared it dead, but no obligations were pursued, and… every limitation that existed in the JCPOA was violated multiple times,” Grossi said.
Last year, the IAEA asked Iran to explain why traces of uranium had been discovered in three areas that were not believed to be exclusive to nuclear activity. Iran retaliated by removing 27 IAEA cameras.
On Tuesday, Grossi said that the move leaves his agency “blind” on several aspects, including the amount of materials, equipment and centrifuges currently in existence.
Grossi’s scheduled visit was confirmed by Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran’s atomic agency, who said Tehran was expecting a visit from the head of the IAEA, Fars news agency reported on Tuesday Private.
The decline in efforts to restore the deal comes at a time of heightened tensions between the US and Iran.
The European Union has brokered indirect talks between Washington and Tehran aimed at restarting the nuclear deal, but the talks stalled after the Iranian government demanded further guarantees.
Negotiations were then completely stalled by nationwide protests in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Jina Amini in September.
“The JCPOA has been off the agenda for months,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
The Biden administration also introduced sanctions against Tehran following the government’s crackdown on protesters, including the execution of those accused of involvement.
