VIENNA (Dispatches) -- Iran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency says the Agency’s latest report confirms that Tehran is implementing the country’s strategic parliamentary law.
That law limits IAEA access and obliges the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran to press ahead with enrichment and other nuclear activities that go over and beyond Iran’s commitments under the nuclear deal.
Kazem Gharibabadi said the IAEA had no access that had previously been provided under the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, Press TV reported.
Under a temporary agreement between Tehran and the IAEA valid until June 24th, the Agency will continue to collect data at Iran’s key nuclear facilities via its surveillance equipment but will not be able to access that data.
The IAEA’s latest report on Iran is the first since the country stopped implementing voluntary transparency measures as a result of a law passed by parliament restricting the Agency’s access to nuclear facilities.
In his report, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi estimated Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium to be about 16 times higher than the limit set in the deal.
Gharibabadi said Iran is continuing to enrich uranium at the level of 5, 20 and 60 percent. The limit set in the deal was 3.67 percent.
Iran stepped back from its nuclear commitments in response to the previous U.S. administration’s withdrawal from the deal and the re-imposition of sanctions.
Negotiations to revive the deal have been taking place in Vienna since April with Tehran standing firm on its position that it will only return to full compliance after the U.S. removes sanctions in a verifiable manner.