IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has acknowledged that information obtained by Iran “seems to refer” to Israel’s Soreq Nuclear Research Center. This is the first time a senior official from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has spoken publicly about the matter.
Grossi made the statement during a news conference in Vienna, where he also confirmed that the IAEA monitors Soreq as part of their safeguards agreements with Israel, Pakistan, and India. However, the agency does not have access to Israel’s nuclear facility at Dimona.
Iranian intelligence minister Esmail Khatib recently claimed that Tehran had seized thousands of pages of documents related to Israel’s nuclear program, which were obtained through “infiltration” and “access to sources.” The claim was made in response to a 2018 Israeli operation that spirited out documents from Iran’s program.
The IAEA has a confidential reporting system for nations to report security incidents involving their nuclear programs. However, Grossi did not elaborate on where he received his information or how it was obtained.
The alleged theft comes at a time of renewed tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, which enriches uranium and is poised to reject a US proposal for a possible deal on its atomic program. Western nations are expected to present a proposal to the IAEA’s Board of Governors this week, which could lead to Iran being considered non-compliant with the UN’s nuclear watchdog.
The incident has significant implications for global nuclear security, particularly in light of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. The US withdrew from the agreement in 2020, and now Western nations are seeking to restore sanctions on Iran if they fail to comply with their obligations under the treaty.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-nuclear-programs-iaea-94c0f87c357fd72169dee198cb6800a7