Iran says UN watchdog inspector made centrifuge report error

Iran says UN watchdog inspector made centrifuge report error
by AFP Staff Writers
Tehran (AFP) Feb 2, 2023

Iran says a UN nuclear watchdog inspector was mistaken about covert changes to one of its uranium enrichment clusters and says the issue has now been resolved, state media reported.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran had substantially modified an interconnection between two centrifuge clusters enriching uranium to up to 60 percent at its Fordo Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP).

In a confidential report seen by AFP on Wednesday, it said this had been done without declaring it to the IAEA.

"An agency inspector inadvertently reported that Iran had made changes in the operating procedure at the enrichment site... that it had not announced before," Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi was quoted as saying late Wednesday by IRNA news agency.

Tehran provided "explanations" to the inspectors and "the inspector in question realised his mistake" he said. "After coordination with the agency's secretariat, the matter was resolved."

The IAEA said that during an unannounced Fordo inspection on January 21 it found that "two IR-6 centrifuge cascades... were interconnected in a way that was substantially different from the mode of operation declared by Iran to the agency".

Since late last year, the two cascades have been used to produce uranium enriched to up to 60 percent, the report to member states added.

The IAEA did not specify the kind of changes made to the interconnection between the cascades.

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi expressed concern that Iran had "implemented a substantial change in the design information of FFEP in relation to the production of high enriched uranium without informing the Agency in advance".

However, IRNA quoted Kamalvandi as saying: "If Mr Grossi said this, I believe that his information has not been updated", adding that Iran's atomic agency has sent a letter in "response to the agency's previous letter in this regard".

Last week, Grossi told European Parliament lawmakers Iran had "amassed enough nuclear material for several nuclear weapons -- not one at this point".

Speaking about Iran's recent atomic activities, including enriching uranium well beyond the limits of the landmark 2015 deal to curb its nuclear capabilities -- Grossi said Tehran's trajectory "is certainly not a good one".

The deal with world powers, known as the JCPOA, collapsed after the United States withdrew from it in 2018 under former president Donald Trump.

Negotiations that started in April 2021 to revive the agreement have since stalled.

Iran said in November it had begun producing uranium enriched to 60 percent at Fordo, an underground facility that reopened three years ago after the breakdown of the JCPOA.

UN nuclear watchdog warns on covert Iran centrifuge changes
Vienna (AFP) Feb 1, 2023 - The UN nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that Iran had substantially modified an interconnection between two centrifuge clusters enriching uranium to up to 60 percent at its Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), without declaring it to the agency.

During an unannounced inspection at the Fordow plant on January 21, the International Atomic Energy Agency detected that "two IR-6 centrifuge cascades... were interconnected in a way that was substantially different from the mode of operation declared by Iran to the agency", according to a confidential report seen by AFP.

Since late last year the two centrifuge cascades have been used to produce uranium enriched to up to 60 percent, the report to member states added.

After the IAEA carried out the inspection at Fordow, Iran "subsequently informed the Agency that it had switched to this mode of operation on 16 January".

The agency did not specify what kind of changes were made to the interconnection between the centrifuge cascades.

But IAEA head Rafael Grossi expressed concern that Iran had "implemented a substantial change in the design information of FFEP in relation to the production of high enriched uranium without informing the Agency in advance".

"This is inconsistent with Iran's obligations under its Safeguards Agreement and undermines the Agency's ability to adjust the safeguards approach for FFEP and implement effective safeguards measures at this facility," he said in a statement.

Last week, Grossi told lawmakers in the European Parliament that Iran had "amassed enough nuclear material for several nuclear weapons -- not one at this point".

Speaking about Iran's recent atomic activities, including enriching uranium toward a level needed for nuclear weapons -- well beyond the limits of the landmark 2015 deal curbing Iran's nuclear capabilities -- Grossi said the trajectory Iran was on "is certainly not a good one".

The agreement, known as the JCPOA, fell apart after the US withdrew in 2018 under former president Donald Trump, and negotiations to revive it have since stalled.