UN nuclear inspectors said Thursday they were "deeply concerned" about Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons grade, as the Islamic Republic continues to deny them access to facilities struck several months ago by the United States and Israel.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stressed that it has been unable to confirm Iran's fuel inventory since mid-June, according to documents obtained by Bloomberg. This is the agency's first report since the UN Security Council reimposed sanctions demanding that Iran cease enrichment activities.
"The agency's lack of access to this nuclear material in Iran for five months means its verification, according to standard safety procedures, has long been delayed," wrote IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. He added that Tehran's failure to inform his agency of the uranium's whereabouts was "a matter of serious concern."
While satellite images show that the strikes by Israel and the US destroyed much of Iran's surface-level nuclear activity, they also reversed decades of access previously granted to UN inspectors at Tehran's massive atomic complex. Iran's nuclear work has worried the West for decades, and tensions over its program — which began in the 1950s — have often rattled oil markets and sparked cycles of confrontation and conciliation with the United States.
About six months ago, Grossi admitted that the IAEA did not know the location of roughly 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of enriched uranium after Iranian officials said they had moved it "to protect it" ahead of anticipated US attacks. "We're not speculating here. We have no information on the location of this material," Grossi told Fox News.
