The head of the UN’s atomic watchdog agency will head to Iran next week to once again ask Iranian authorities for access to suspicious sites where the country is thought to have stored or used undeclared nuclear material, the Associated Press cited the organization.
International Atomic Energy Agency’s Director General Rafael Grossi took office last December and he will be visiting Tehran for the first time.
The focus of the visit will be on access to sites thought to be from the early 2000.
Iran has been insisting that the IAEA inspectors have no legal basis to inspect the sites.
“My objective is that my meetings in Tehran will lead to concrete progress in addressing the outstanding questions that the agency has related to safeguards in Iran and, in particular, to resolve the issue of access,” Grossi said in a statement quoted by AP.
“I also hope to establish a fruitful and cooperative channel of direct dialogue with the Iranian government which will be valuable now and in the future,” he added.
The IAEA recently released a report about the agency’s "serious concern" on Iran constantly blocking inspections at two sites where past nuclear activity may have occurred.
