IAEA criticizes Iran's "non-cooperation" with inspectors

VIENNA, June 5 (KUNA) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency Friday criticized Iran's "non-cooperation" with the IAEA to reach sites that were supposed to be inspected, and addressing outstanding issues related to its nuclear program.
IAEA Director General Mariano Grossi, in a report distributed to member states, urged Iran to give agency's inspectors access to the specified sites.
"We are very worried over Iran's rejection of inspection of all sites determined by inspectors, particularly refusal of Iranian authorities over the past hours to give access to the Agency's experts to reach two of those sites," said Grossi, without naming the sites.
He said Iran failed to comply with the 2015 nuclear agreements, foremost levels of enrichment of uranium and uranium stocks.
Iran, added Grossi, "is now possessing larger quantities of enriched uranium in a manner exceeding levels determined by the nuclear agreement signed between the Agency and Iran." Grossi said in his report, which would be discussed by the IAEA Council in mid-June, said there was around 1.5 tons of enriched uranium in Iran, or eight times more than levels allowed by the nuclear agreement.
He said Iran increased stocks of enriched uranium in the past months.
Iran and five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany signed the nuclear agreement which paved way for easing of sanctions on Iran in return of downgrading the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.
Iran started reversing the course of the agreement by enriching uranium after US President Donald Trump announced he was quitting the deal in 2018. (end) amg.bs