The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, expressed growing apprehension about Iran’s limited cooperation with the Agency during his speech at the World Economic Summit in Davos, Switzerland. He characterized Iran’s approach as holding the IAEA ‘hostage’ amid disputes with Western countries.
Grossi criticized Iran’s rejection of inspectors based on their nationality, stating that such actions are disheartening. He pointed out that Iran has significantly curtailed its cooperation with the IAEA, reducing it to the minimum. According to Grossi, the Iranian leadership tends to involve the IAEA in their political differences with Western nations, particularly France, Britain, and the United States, which he deemed unacceptable.
In a noteworthy announcement, Grossi highlighted an acceleration in the rate and speed of uranium enrichment in Iran. Despite an initial slowdown during indirect negotiations with the United States to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Grossi stated that this process is expected to regain momentum by the end of 2023.
He voiced his concerns during an interview with the English-language ‘National’ newspaper in Abu Dhabi, reiterating that Iran is advancing its uranium enrichment program at full speed, hindering the IAEA’s inspections.
The latest report from the IAEA revealed that Iran has escalated the production rate of uranium approaching weapons-grade levels, reaching an enrichment of 60%. The Agency confirmed that since the end of November, Iran has increased the production of 60% uranium hexafluoride at the Fardo and Natanz sites.
The United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom jointly condemned Iran’s acceleration in the speed and quantity of uranium enriched to sixty percent purity. However, Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, dismissed reactions to the Agency’s report as ‘media hype’ intended to divert public attention from other global issues, such as the situation in Gaza.
