The head of the IAEA condemns Iran’s rejection of nuclear inspectors. No transparency about gold imports into Switzerland

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has strongly condemned Iran’s rejection of several experienced IAEA inspectors. This move by Tehran, announced in September, is “not only unprecedented, but also clearly contradicts the necessary cooperation,” Grossi wrote to IAEA member states on Wednesday in a report available to the German news agency.

Grossi has called on Tehran to allow the inspectors involved to resume monitoring facilities in Iran. According to Grossi, Iranian Vice President and nuclear chief Mohammed Eslami informed the IAEA in a non-binding manner on Wednesday that he was investigating his claims. Eslami, however, made no promises.

In 2015, Iran agreed with several states – including Germany – to impose strict limits on its nuclear program and close monitoring by the IAEA. This was intended to prevent the development of nuclear weapons. In return, Western sanctions were lifted. But the United States withdrew from the pact in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump. That is why Tehran has ramped up its nuclear program again in recent years and severely limited IAEA inspections. Negotiations to restore the agreement have been suspended.

Grossi also reported on Wednesday that Iran has continued to enrich uranium in recent months, in violation of the nuclear pact. However, production figures are lower than in the past. Accordingly, Iran currently possesses 128 kilograms of uranium with a purity level close to nuclear weapons. According to experts, it takes about 50 kilograms to make an atomic bomb. Tehran denies that it wants to build nuclear weapons. (sda/dpa)