“(IAEA chief Rafael Grossi) takes note of Iran’s proposal to hold a further technical meeting with senior Agency officials in Tehran before the end of the month, but stresses that this meeting should be aimed at effectively clarifying and resolving those issues,” one of two confidential IAEA reports on Iran sent to member states on Thursday ahead of the board meeting said.
The IAEA “expects to start receiving from Iran technically credible explanations on these issues, including access to locations and material, as well as the taking of samples as appropriate”, it added.
A senior diplomat stated the Vienna-based agency hoped the meeting would be the start of a process leading to answers but concrete progress was also needed at the meeting itself.
Iranian officials say Tehran has fully cooperated with the IAEA about three sites in question inside the country, adding that detection of nuclear traces at Iranian sites does not mean Tehran has undeclared nuclear material.
Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami urged the IAEA to avoid relying on baseless information through unreliable sources, and reiterated that his country has no secret nuclear activities and undeclared atomic sites.
He stated that the nuclear agency’s reports confirm that there is no deviation in Iran’s nuclear program.