Tel Aviv: The nuclear talks between the US and Iran are “a bad joke”, according to Israeli sources that claim Iran is “mocking” Washington while continuing its nuclear program.
“The Americans are naive. They don’t fully understand the way Iran operates,” one of the sources said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded that Iran carried out nuclear activities using undeclared material at three previously unreported sites—Lavisan-Shian, Varamin, and Turquzabad, according to a confidential report circulated to member states, as reported by Reuters on Saturday, May 31.
According to Iran international, the website operated from London by the opposition to the regime in Tehran, the agency said Iran repeatedly failed to provide credible answers and had sanitised locations under scrutiny. It also found evidence that Iran retained unknown nuclear material or contaminated equipment at Turquzabad as recently as 2018.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi reiterated his urgent call for Iran to fully cooperate, citing lingering concerns over past activities and public statements by former Iranian officials referencing nuclear weapons capabilities. However, the report noted that the agency has no credible indications of an ongoing, undeclared structured nuclear weapons program in Iran.
A separate IAEA report sent to member states on Saturday, May 31 said that Iran’s overall stockpile of enriched uranium rose to 9,247.6 kg, with quantities of uranium enriched to 60% now exceeding 400 kg—well above the threshold the IAEA defines as enough for one nuclear weapon if further enriched.
Both IAEA reports said Iran’s high-level enrichment was “of serious concern,” noting it is the only country enriching to that level without having nuclear weapons.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
