The AP Interview: UN nuke chief says view from Iran blurred

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ABU DHABI – The caput of the United Nations atomic watchdog warned Tuesday that the restrictions faced by his inspectors successful Iran endanger to springiness the satellite lone a “very blurred image” of Tehran's programme arsenic it enriches uranium person than ever to weapons-grade levels.

Speaking successful a wide-ranging interrogation to The Associated Press, Rafael Mariano Grossi said helium wanted to archer Iran that determination was “no mode around” his inspectors astatine the International Atomic Energy Agency if the Islamic Republic wanted to beryllium “a respected state successful the assemblage of nations.”

“We person to enactment together," Grossi said from a luxury edifice successful Abu Dhabi, the superior of the United Arab Emirates, aft helium visited that country's archetypal atomic powerfulness plant. “They indispensable enactment together. I volition marque definite they recognize that successful america they volition person a partner.”

Grossi's insistence that the Vienna-based IAEA remained “an auditor” for the satellite came arsenic negotiations falter successful Vienna to revive Tehran's tattered atomic deal. Hours earlier, the main of Iran's civilian atomic programme insisted his state would garbage the bureau entree to a delicate centrifuge assembly plant.

That works successful Karaj came nether what Iran describes arsenic a sabotage onslaught successful June. Tehran blamed the battle connected Israel amid a widening determination shadiness war since erstwhile President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Iran's landmark atomic accord with satellite powers. Iran since has refused the IAEA entree to regenerate cameras damaged successful the incident.

“If the planetary assemblage done us, done the IAEA, is not seeing intelligibly however galore centrifuges oregon what is the capableness that they whitethorn person ... what you person is simply a precise blurred image," Grossi said. "It volition springiness you the illusion of the existent image. But not the existent image. This is wherefore this is truthful important.”

Grossi dismissed arsenic “simply absurd” an Iranian allegation that saboteurs utilized the IAEA's cameras successful the onslaught connected the Karaj centrifuge site. Tehran has offered nary grounds to enactment the claim, though it's different motion of the friction betwixt inspectors and Iran.

Since the atomic deal's collapse, Tehran has started enriching uranium up to 60% purity — a abbreviated method measurement from weapons-grade levels of 90%. The woody constricted enrichment to 3.67%, capable to beryllium utilized successful a powerfulness plant. The nation's stockpile of enriched uranium grows each time acold beyond the scope of the 2015 accord, which saw Tehran hold to bounds its atomic programme successful the speech for the lifting of economical sanctions. It besides spins ever-more precocious centrifuges besides barred by the deal.

While stressing helium wasn't progressive successful the governmental negotiations ongoing successful Vienna, Grossi acknowledged the advances made by Iran since the deal's illness meant determination would person to beryllium changes to the archetypal agreement.

"The world is that we are dealing with a precise antithetic Iran,” helium said. “2022 is truthful antithetic from 2015 that determination volition person to beryllium adjustments that instrumentality into information these caller realities truthful our inspectors tin inspect immoderate the countries hold astatine the governmental table.”

And portion Iran insists its programme is peaceful, U.S. quality agencies and the IAEA person said Iran ran an organized atomic weapons programme until 2003.

“There’s nary different state different than those making atomic weapons reaching those precocious levels” of uranium enrichment, Grossi said of Iran. “I’ve said galore times that this doesn’t mean that Iran has a atomic weapon. But it does mean that this level of enrichment is 1 that requires an aggravated verification effort.”

Iran's ngo to the United Nations did not instantly respond to a petition for remark connected Grossi's remarks.

In Vienna, however, anxiety is increasing among European nations astatine the negotiating table. The U.S. has remained extracurricular of nonstop talks since abandoning the accord.

“Without swift progress, successful airy of Iran’s fast-forwarding of its atomic program, the (deal) volition precise soon go an bare shell,” they warned successful an overnight statement.

Apparently responding to the criticism, Iranian negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani wrote connected Twitter: “Some actors persist successful their blasted crippled habit, alternatively of existent diplomacy.”

But the Iranian negotiators who person entered the talks for the archetypal clip successful months nether newly elected hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi person taken maximalist positions. Bagheri Kani himself described six erstwhile rounds of negotiations with a squad nether erstwhile President Hassan Rouhani arsenic a specified “draft.”

Asked astir the quality betwixt the 2 administrations, Grossi said that “the alteration is palpable.”

“The president himself and radical astir him person been saying precise intelligibly they person views astir the program," helium said. "They person beardown views astir the interactions that Iran has been having" with some the IAEA and parties to the atomic deal.

He besides described practice with the Raisi medication arsenic “slower than expected.”

“We person been capable to commencement this narration rather precocious I would say,” Grossi said.

Meanwhile, outer photos obtained by the AP amusement ongoing operation successful the upland southbound of Iran's Natanz atomic facility, doubly the people of suspected Israeli attacks. Another above-ground installation is being built astatine Iran's underground Fordo facility, which besides has begun uranium enrichment amid the Vienna talks successful defiance of the atomic deal.

Grossi said Iran has informed the IAEA astir the ongoing operation and his inspectors “are following” advancement astatine the sites.

Regionally, Saudi Arabia has begun exploring atomic power. Unlike the UAE — which has a strict statement with the U.S. that ensures it doesn't enrich its ain uranium — Saudi Arabia says it wants a centrifuge program. That opens the hazard of atomic proliferation arsenic the kingdom has threatened to unreserved for a atomic limb if Iran obtains one. Grossi described discussions betwixt Riyadh and the IAEA arsenic "very positive.”

And successful Israel, agelong believed to beryllium a nuclear-armed state, a monolithic operation task continues astatine its secretive atomic reactor adjacent Dimona, which isn't taxable to the IAEA's watch. Iran often points to Israel's weapons programme arsenic an planetary double-standard fixed the scrutiny of Tehran's civilian program.

When asked astir Israel, Grossi said: "I deliberation the planetary assemblage would similar each state to motion up to the pact connected the non-proliferation of atomic weapons and to enactment each the facilities nether safeguards from the IAEA.”

He stressed the value of ensuring that IAEA inspectors person the unfettered quality to show and entree Iran's fast-accelerating atomic program.

“The occupation is that the much clip passes and you suffer the quality to grounds what is going on, past the infinitesimal this capableness is restored, inspectors travel backmost and commencement to enactment the jigsaw puzzle unneurotic again,” helium said. "There mightiness beryllium gaps. And these gaps are not a bully happening to have.”

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Follow Jon Gambrell and Isabel DeBre connected Twitter astatine www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP and www.twitter.com/isabeldebre.

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