American bombings probably caused “very important” damage to the underground areas of the Iranian enrichment plant of uranium of Fordo, excavated in a mountain, although you still can’t know the scope, said the head of the UN Nuclear Control Agency on Monday, Rafael Grossi.
“At this time, no one, including the OIEA, is in a position to fully assess underground damage in Fordo,”said Grossi at an emergency meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, composed of 35 countries.
The OIEA has not been able to carry out inspections in Iran since Israel began its military attacks against the country’s nuclear facilities on June 13.
“Given the explosive load used and the extremely sensitive nature to the vibrations of the centrifugators, very important damage has been expected,” Grossi added.
Beyond the damage suffered by the underground enrichment ships of Fordo, one of the great unknowns is the situation of its enriched uranium reserves, in particular its more than 400 kilos of enriched uranium up to 60% purity, at a step of 90% that is used to make weapons.
This amount is sufficient, if it is further enriched, to manufacture nine nuclear weapons, according to a scale of the OIEA, although Iran affirms that their intentions are peaceful and that it does not aspire to have atomic bombs.
However, Iran informed Oiea on June 13 that it would take “special measures” to protect its nuclear materials and equipment that are under the so -called OIEA safeguards, the supervision planned by the Nuclear Non -Proliferation Treaty, Grossi said.
“In my response of that same day, I indicated that any transfer of nuclear material from an installation subjected to safeguards to another place in Iran must be declared to the body,” Grossi said.
“Any special measure of Iran to protect its nuclear materials and equipment (…) can be done in accordance with Iran’s obligations in safeguards (…). This is possible.”
Source: Ambito
