IAEA awaits access to Iranian nuclear facilities

Moscow (ANTARA) - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) hopes to gain access to Iranian nuclear facilities within the next few weeks, Director General Rafael Grossi has said. “I hope this can be realised within the next few weeks, no longer than that. Do not forget that the Memorandum of Understanding they have signed speaks of a 60-day timeframe to reach a comprehensive agreement. Of course, there is more than just the nuclear issue involved,” Grossi told RIA Novosti in an interview published on Friday. He also noted that the document covers freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and territorial integrity issues related to the ceasefire. Grossi added that there are a number of issues to be resolved, all of which are quite complex. However, a two-month deadline has been set. “Time is ticking, so the remaining time is now less than that. I hope that if a final agreement can be reached within that period, it will open the door to starting the real work, which of course includes access to those facilities,” he added. Furthermore, he said the IAEA believes the stockpile of enriched uranium is still at Iran’s nuclear facilities. However, to confirm this, the IAEA needs to conduct inspections again and verify that everything is still there. “We have not done that yet, but there are reasonably plausible grounds to believe that the material is still at the site,” Grossi said. He explained that the IAEA’s assessment is based on the results of the last routine inspection carried out by the agency before the outbreak of the conflict known as the 12-day war. “We know exactly where the material was and how much there was at that time. Since then, we have been monitoring the site through satellite imagery and other methods, as many parties have done. We have not seen any major movement, other than the fact that the facilities have been severely damaged. Some access routes to the site are even blocked,” Grossi said.