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Iran turns off UN nuclear watchdog cameras at atomic site ––
Iran has turned off two surveillance cameras used by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog to monitor one of the country’s atomic sites, state television has reported.
The report did not identify the site, but it appeared to be a new pressure technique by Tehran as western nations seek to censure Iran at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) this week.
The Iranian state television report described the two cameras as monitoring “OLEM enrichment levels and flowmeters”. This appeared to refer to the IAEA’s Online Enrichment Monitors, which look at the enrichment of uranium gas through piping at enrichment facilities.
Iran is currently enriching at both its Fordo and Natanz underground nuclear sites.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has so far had extensive co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency,” state TV said in its report.
“Unfortunately, the agency, without considering this co-operation … not only did not appreciate this co-operation, but also considered it as a duty of Iran.”
Tehran said its civilian nuclear arm, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, monitored the shutdown of the cameras.
It said 80% of the existing cameras were IAEA “safeguard” cameras and they would continue to operate as before. Safeguards refer to the IAEA’s inspections and monitoring of a country’s nuclear programme.
But an Iranian official warned Tehran was now considering taking “other measures” as well.
“We hope that they come to their senses and respond to Iran’s co-operation with co-operation,” Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, said.
“It is not acceptable that they show inappropriate behaviour while Iran continues to co-operate.”
Iran’s move comes after IAEA director-general Rafael Mariano Grossi criticised Iran for failing to provide “credible information” about unexplained, manmade nuclear material discovered at three Iranian sites — long a point of contention between the agency and Tehran.
Iran already has been holding footage from IAEA surveillance cameras since February 2021 as a pressure tactic to restore the atomic accord.
Iran and world powers agreed in 2015 to the nuclear deal, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. In 2018, then-US president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord, raising tensions across the wider Middle East and sparking a series of attacks and incidents.
Talks in Vienna, where the IAEA is based, over Iran’s tattered nuclear deal have been stalled since April.
Since the deal’s collapse, Iran runs advanced centrifuges and has a rapidly growing stockpile of enriched uranium.
Nonproliferation experts warn Iran has enriched enough uranium up to 60% purity — a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90% — to make one nuclear weapon if it choose.
Iran insists its programme is for peaceful purposes, although United Nations experts and western intelligence agencies say Iran had an organised military nuclear programme through 2003.
Building a nuclear bomb would still take Iran more time if it pursued a weapon, analysts say, although they warned that Tehran’s advances made the programme more dangerous.
In a statement to the IAEA on Tuesday, France, Germany and the UK warned the moves taken by Tehran were “further reducing the time Iran would take to break out towards a first nuclear weapon and it is fuelling distrust as to Iran’s intentions”.
“The IAEA has been without crucial access to data on centrifuge and component manufacturing for a year-and-a-half now,” the statement warned.
“This means that neither the agency, nor the international community, know how many centrifuges Iran has in its inventory, how many were built, and where they may be located.”
The countries urged Iran “to stop escalating its nuclear programme and to urgently conclude the deal that is on the table”.
But just before the announcement, the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran insisted the country had no secret nuclear activity and accused the West of making a “political move” by trying to censure his country.
“Iran has had maximum co-operation with the IAEA,” Mohammad Eslami said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
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https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/iran-turns-off-un-nuclear-watchdog-cameras-at-atomic-site-reports-41732447.html