The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has called on Iran to explain the construction of new tunnels near the Natanz nuclear site. The call comes amid hopes for continued talks between Tehran and Washington, "Agence France-Presse" reported, quoted by BTA.
The Washington think tank Institute for Science and International Security has published satellite images revealing a new tunnel near an older and newly built security perimeter around the site. The institute said the images raised questions about the purpose of the facilities.
“I have raised this issue several times and will continue to do so,“ said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi during a visit to Washington. He stressed that all countries are required to inform the agency about activities around their nuclear facilities, but Iran often refuses to do so, arguing that it has a "unique position in the world".
“We ask them: what is the benefit of this? "They tell us it's none of our business," Grossi added, warning that "the use of the tunnels for storing undeclared materials cannot be ruled out," although he did not want to speculate on Iran's intentions.
Grossi stressed that Iran does not currently have nuclear weapons, but recalled that the country has carried out activities in the past that "could be related to the development of nuclear weapons."
Despite the concerns, the IAEA chief expressed optimism about the progress of the negotiations between the United States and Iran. After two rounds, new talks are expected to take place this weekend, with the aim of reaching a verifiable agreement.
In 2018, the United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, negotiated during the term of Barack Obama. The decision was made by then-President Donald Trump. Yesterday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio again criticized the agreement, saying it gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for potential opportunities to enrich uranium for military purposes.
According to Rubio, a new agreement could only be reached if Iran stopped enriching uranium and agreed to import nuclear fuel only for civilian purposes.