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UN pulls nuclear inspectors out of Iran for safety reasons
The move intensifies a standoff over the agency’s oversight of Iran’s nuclear work.
The United Nations atomic agency is pulling its inspectors out of Iran over safety concerns, severing the link between the agency and Tehran, which earlier this week suspended cooperation with the international monitor, according to people familiar with the matter.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s team of inspectors were driven by road out of Iran on Friday despite international departures from Iran’s main airports resuming normal operations in the wake of a 12-day conflict with Israel, two of the people said.
The inspectors have been housed in Tehran unable to visit Iran’s nuclear sites since Israel attacked the country on June 13. They were housed at a hotel in the capital but may have later moved to a U.N. location, according to one of the people.
Iran has ratcheted up years-old rhetoric against the agency since then and there have been death threats against IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi from lawmakers and regime-tied media.
Their departure makes the prospect of any significant international access to Iran’s nuclear sites extremely unlikely, allowing it to carry out nuclear work unchecked. Iran’s activities are, however, being watched closely by Western and Israeli intelligence agencies, and the IAEA has access to satellite imagery of its sites. It also raises the prospect of a standoff over Iran’s participation in the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which bans it from nuclear weapons and requires regular inspections of its atomic program.
For decades, Iran has been subject to rigorous inspections of its core nuclear sites. Inspectors would visit its enrichment sites and check its stockpile of enriched uranium every couple of days, ensuring that Iran wasn’t diverting fissile material for a nuclear weapon.
Iran has always said its nuclear work is for purely peaceful purposes. President Trump said Thursday that Iran wants to meet to resume nuclear talks. There has been no confirmation of that by Tehran.
