WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The head of the UN-backed nuclear watchdog has raised fresh concerns over Iran's failure to fully cooperate with inspections, warning that this is preventing independent verification of its nuclear activities.
Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on Monday that Iran's growing stockpile of highly enriched uranium and unresolved questions about its program remain serious issues.
'Unless and until Iran assists the agency in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues, the Agency will not be in a position to provide assurance that Iran's nuclear program is exclusively peaceful,' he said while addressing IAEA's Board of Governors, which comprises 35 countries - including France, Russia, the UK and the U.S.
Grossi further noted that Iran had failed to provide technically credible explanations for the presence of man-made uranium particles at three undeclared sites - Varamin, Marivan and Turquzabad - despite years of consultations.
Based on its assessments, IAEA can conclude that these three locations were part of a structured nuclear program that operated until the early 2000s and involved undeclared nuclear material, he said.
'The agency also concludes that Iran did not declare nuclear material and nuclear-related activities at these three undeclared locations in Iran.as a consequence of this, the Agency is not in a position to determine whether the related nuclear material is still outside of safeguards.'
The situation is exacerbated by the country's decision to stop implementing some provisions of its Safeguards Agreement, a legal requirement under international law, he added, urging Tehran to urgently restore transparency and comply with international obligations.
Grossi also expressed alarm at the rapid accumulation of over 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, which has serious implications.
Turning to North Korea, Grossi said the IAEA continues to monitor nuclear activity remotely, despite being denied direct access to the country.
The IAEA chief also highlighted the precarious situation at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, where all six reactors remain in cold shutdown amid continued military activity.
A full damage assessment is also underway at Chernobyl, which came under a Russian drone attack and ensuing fire in February that resulted in 'significant damage' to a confinement arch that is critical to maintaining long-term safety at the site.
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