The U.N. atomic watchdog dismissed on Thursday an offer by the Iranian regime of access to a region where explosives experiments of possible use in nuclear weapons development may have taken place, saying this did not address its concerns.
The Iranian regime told a board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency last month it would let IAEA inspectors visit the western Marivan.
However, the IAEA’s main priority for its long-stalled investigation into Iran’s nuclear programme has been to go to another location, the Parchin military base southeast of Tehran, where the Vienna-based agency says other nuclear-related explosives tests may have been conducted, perhaps a decade ago.
Then Islamic Republic has so far refused access to Parchin, saying it is a conventional military facility.
The IAEA has raised with Iran the U.N. agency’s “specific concerns related to the issue of large-scale high-explosive experiments over the past three years”, IAEA Communications Director Serge Gas said in an email, according to the Reuters.
However, the IAEA has “explained clearly to Iran – on more than one occasion – that an offer of a visit of Marivan does not help address specific concerns related to the issue of large- scale high explosive experiments,” he said, without elaborating.
Meanwhile on Thursday, IAEA highlighted the shortage of funds to continue its nuclear-related monitoring and verification activities in Iran.
At a special meeting of the IAEA, the agency’s director Yukiya Amano noted a shortage of some 4.6 million euros (5.8 million U.S. dollars) for IAEA to implement the Joint Plan of Action and called on member states to contribute as soon as possible to ensure smooth continuation of the monitoring activities as stipulated in the plan.
Amano told the meeting that the agency’s work had involved a significant increase in the frequency of its in-field verification activities, as well as the installation of more safeguards equipment and the undertaking of more samples.
Several states said they would back the U.N. atomic agency on Thursday after it asked for 4.6 million euros ($5.7 million) as soon as possible to pay for its monitoring of an extended nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.
The verbal support at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) underlined the political importance of efforts to curb the Iranian regime’s nuclear activities.
IAEA inspectors visit enrichment facilities of Natanz and Fordow daily, compared to about once a week before. It has also procured specialized equipment for its analytical work.
