Iran Must Disclose Location of Highly Enriched Uranium

TOKYO, Jun 23: International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said Iran must disclose the location of its highly enriched uranium as the agency prepares to resume inspections of the country’s nuclear facilities.

Speaking to NHK in Tokyo, Grossi said the IAEA’s top priority under renewed inspections will be verifying where the highly enriched uranium is being held.

He said the inspections are expected to take place under the Iran-US understanding and must begin quickly because the agreement has a limited timeframe.

“We think that the sooner the better, especially since this agreement has a time frame of 60 days, so we will have to be working without losing much time,” Grossi said.

Grossi said the agency has an idea of where the uranium may be located, but noted that some storage sites had been attacked and partly destroyed. That means inspectors must determine how to safely access and assess the material.

He added that the IAEA would soon discuss inspection dates and technical details with Iranian officials.

Grossi also emphasized the agency’s independence, saying inspections would be carried out by the IAEA without outside control.

“If Iran wishes to invite the United States or other observers, this is another matter,” he said. “We do not foresee that somebody needs to help us or control us.”

The comments come as attention remains focused on Iran’s nuclear program and the implementation of inspection commitments under the latest diplomatic understanding involving Tehran and Washington.