Iran criticizes the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency on the uranium enrichment report

Iran on Saturday criticized the head of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, after the agency in a report raised concerns about secret, material changes to equipment at the Fordow uranium enrichment plant without prior notice, state media reported.

Grossi’s criticism comes after the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said he planned to visit Tehran in February for talks to get it to cooperate more on its activities amid stalled negotiations to revive a landmark agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a confidential report seen by Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Wednesday that Iran has made a substantial modification to connect two sets of centrifuges to enrich uranium up to 60% at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), without prior notice.

Iran later said that an inspector had reported the changes “unintentionally” and that Grossi released the report even though the issue had been resolved – a response criticized as “inadequate” by the United States and its allies.

“We sent a message to the agency stating that an inspector … made a mistake and submitted an incorrect report,” the official IRNA news agency quoted Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, as saying.

“But the agency’s general manager released this case again to the media,” he said, describing it as “unprofessional and unacceptable” behavior. “We hope that this practice will not continue… because this is unacceptable to his reputation and to the agency,” he added.

The IAEA said that during an unannounced inspection at the Fordow site on January 21, it found that “two IR-6 centrifuge assemblies … are interconnected in a manner fundamentally different from the mode of operation Iran has declared.” to the agency.”

The report added to member states that since late last year, the two chains have been used to produce enriched uranium up to 60%.

In the report, Grossi expressed concern that Iran had “implemented a material change to FFEP’s design information regarding highly enriched uranium production without prior notification to the agency.”

The United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany said in a statement on Friday that Iran’s response to the report was “insufficient”.

They said, “Iran’s allegations that this act was carried out by mistake are insufficient.” “We judge Iran’s actions based on impartial and objective reports of the International Atomic Energy Agency and not Iran’s alleged intention,” he added.

Grossi told the European Parliament on January 24 that he planned to visit Tehran this month “for a much-needed political dialogue or re-establishment with Iran”. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency referred to the “big, big deadlock” over the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The agreement with world powers collapsed after the United States withdrew from it in 2018 under former President Donald Trump.

Since then, negotiations that began in April 2021 to revive the agreement have stalled.