IAEA chief reaches Iran after discovery of near weapons-grade uranium

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi arrived in Iranian capital Tehran on Friday (March 3) for discussions with officials. Visit by the UN nuclear watchdog chief comes after discovery of uranium particles in Iran just under weapons-grade level. The Vienna-based international organisation is seeking to get Iranian co-operation over its nuclear activities.

Grossi was greeted at the airport by Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and is due to meet its head, Mohammad Eslami, as well as other Iranian officials during his two-day visit.

AFP reported that a confidential IAEA report has said that uranium particles enriched up to 83.7 per cent have been detected at Iran's underground Fordo plant. A 90 per cent enrichment is required to make an atomic bomb. The plant is just 100 kilometres south of Tehran.

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Tehran denies wanting to acquire atomic weapons, and last week said it had not made any attempt to enrich uranium beyond 60 percent purity, noting that "unintended fluctuations... may have occurred" during the enrichment process.

The discovery came after Iran had substantially modified an interconnection between two centrifuge clusters enriching uranium, without declaring it to the IAEA.

The IAEA tweeted on Thursday that Grossi would "travel to Tehran for high-level meetings at the invitation of Iran's government".

A diplomatic source told AFP that Grossi would also meet President Ebrahim Raisi to "relaunch the dialogue" on Iran's atomic work and to "reset the relationship at the highest level".

During the visit, the IAEA director general will try to find out more and obtain "strengthened access to the (Fordo) site and an increase in the number of inspections", the sources added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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