IAEA chief voices concerns over possible changes to Iran’s nuclear doctrine

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) chief on Monday expressed concerns about possible changes to Iran’s nuclear doctrine and its increasing stockpile of enriched uranium.

Addressing the IAEA’s board of governors in Vienna, Rafael Mariano Grossi said: “Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium continues to increase, including that enriched up to 60%. The agency has lost continuity of knowledge in relation to the production and inventory of centrifuges, rotors and bellows, heavy water and uranium ore concentrate. It has been more than three years since Iran stopped provisionally applying its Additional Protocol and therefore it is also over three years since the agency was able to conduct complementary access in Iran.”

“There has been no progress in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues. Iran has not provided the agency with technically credible explanations for the presence of uranium particles of anthropogenic origin at Varamin and Turquzabad or informed the agency of the current location(s) of the nuclear material and/or of contaminated equipment,” he added.

According to Grossi, public statements by Iran on its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons and possible changes to Iran’s nuclear doctrine only increase my concern about the correctness and completeness of Iran’s safeguards declarations.