Acting IAEA head urges Iranian cooperation

22 November 2019

Iran should cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency to resolve outstanding issues, including the recent detection of natural uranium particles of anthropogenic origin at an undeclared location, Acting Director General Cornel Feruta told the IAEA Board of Governors yesterday. The IAEA and Iran are scheduled to meet next week in Tehran.

The Board of Governors meeting on 21 November (Image: D Calma/IAEA)

The IAEA verifies the non-diversion of nuclear material declared by Iran under its Safeguards Agreement, and is also carrying out evaluations regarding the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in the country.

Feruta told the Board about the detection of the particles on 7 November. "We have continued our interactions with Iran since then, but have not received any additional information and the matter remains unresolved," he said. "It is essential that Iran works with the Agency to resolve this matter promptly."

Unlike naturally occurring radioactive materials, anthropogenic natural uranium has been treated by chemical processing.

Since January 2016, the IAEA has been verifying and monitoring Iran's implementation of its nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreed in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and the USA). The USA has since withdrawn from the agreement.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News