Iran hits back at IAEA chief Rafael Grossi over report on Fordo nuclear plant

Iran has hit back at UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi after he voiced worries over modifications to equipment at the country's underground Fordo uranium enrichment plant, reported AFP quoting state media.According to a confidential report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) obtained by the news agency on Wednesday, Iran significantly altered an interconnection between two centrifuge clusters at the Fordo Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), without prior notice,that can enrich uranium to up to 60%.

In the report, Grossi flagged worries that Iran had implemented this change without informing the agency beforehand.However, Mohamad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, has hit back at Grossi. He was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA that the organization gave a letter to IAEA that an "inspector... made a mistake and gave an incorrect report."

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“But yet again the director-general of the agency released this issue to the media,” he said, labelling it “unprofessional and unacceptable” behaviour. “We hope that this practice will not be continued... because this is not acceptable for his reputation and the agency," he added.

This comes after an unannounced Fordo inspection on 21 January by IAEA. The UN nuclear watchdog found “two IR-6 centrifuge cascades... were interconnected in a way that was substantially different from the mode of operation declared by Iran to the agency”.

Grossi later on 24 January told the European Parliament that he is planning plans to visit Tehran this month “for a much-needed political dialogue, or reestablishment thereof, with Iran”.

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Discussions to resurrect anagreement over Iran's nuclear programme have stagnated, and Grossi said he wants to visit Tehran in February for talks on encouraging it to boost cooperation on the Iran nuclear deal which has hit a “big, big impasse."

US and allies are looking at it as a significant addition to the country’s nuclear programme. United States, Britain, France and Germany said Friday in a statement that “Iranian claims that this action was carried out in error are inadequate."

“We judge Iran’s actions based on the impartial and objective reports of the IAEA, not Iran’s purported intent.”

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Under then-President Donald Trump, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, in 2018. It reinstated sanctions against Iran, which caused Tehran to start breaking the terms of the agreement.

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