Months after Israel-US strikes, Iran allows inspection of its nuclear sites – Firstpost

Months after joint US-Israel strikes hit Iran’s nuclear facilities, the country said on Thursday it was withdrawing from a deal to allow the resumption of international inspections of its nuclear sites. The decision came hours after the UN monitoring agency sought information on the status of Iran’s enriched uranium reserves.

Ever since Israel launched the 12-day war with Iran with US help, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been unable to inspect Iranian nuclear facilities. Earlier, US President Donald Trump had announced that Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was “destroyed” in the brief war.

However, regional officials and experts remain concerned about the fact that since the attacks Iran has developed a keen interest in secretly developing nuclear weapons. In recent weeks, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said that although Iran is not actively enriching uranium, activities have resumed at some nuclear sites.

It is pertinent to note that if uranium is enriched to lower levels, it can be used to produce nuclear energy. However, enrichment at high levels could pave the way for developing nuclear weapons.

Is Iran changing its plans?

Iran has long insisted that its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. However, in June, before Israel launched its attack, the IAEA passed a resolution stating that Iran was not complying with its nuclear non-proliferation obligations.

At the time, Iranian officials argued that the resolution proved to be political cover for Israeli attacks launched later. A month after the attacks, Tehran formally suspended any cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog and has been refusing inspections since the war.

However, the standoff moved closer to resolution in September when both sides met in Cairo and agreed to resume inspections. But despite the agreement, the Iranian official insisted it would be “unsafe” to allow inspectors to visit the bombed sites.

Progress in this regard came to a halt sharply in October after European countries decided to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. On Thursday, the IAEA Board of Governors passed a resolution demanding that Iran provide information on enrichment “without delay” and access to its nuclear sites.

In response to the ultimatum, Iran withdrew from the Cairo Agreement. “This understanding is no longer valid and should be considered terminated,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a message to the IAEA. Fars The news agency reported.

Regional analysts and officials expressed concern that Iran’s withdrawal from international inspections could trigger another war between Iran and Israel. Some experts argue that Iran may continue work on a new enrichment site known as Pickaxe Mountain. Iranian officials have refused to grant international inspectors access to that site or any suspected nuclear sites other than those already announced.

Last month, the JCPOA agreement with Iran and Western powers to limit Tehran’s nuclear enrichment program expired. Since then, there has been no sign of any international efforts to change this. Many believe that no deal is possible without Washington’s participation. Until then, the fate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium reserves remains unknown.