VIENNA: The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog called on Monday on Iran to ensure “timely and proactive cooperation” with inspections mandated under the 2015 deal with world powers over its nuclear programme.
Speaking at the first meeting of the IAEA’s board of governors since US President Donald Trump threw the future of the deal in doubt in May with his decision to withdraw, Director General Yukiya Amano said the agency had had access to all sites in Iran that it needed to visit and that “Iran was implementing its nuclear-related commitments”.
However, echoing language in the agency’s last report on Iran in May, Amano said that “in some cases, there existed room for Iran to provide us with more proactive and timely access, but such cases are not uncommon in safeguard implementation”.
While the IAEA itself has not given any more detail on these cases, it is understood that one recent inspection at a research facility was held up — but still carried out within the necessary time limits.