JAKARTA - The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday "very detailed" steps to verify Iran's nuclear activities must be included in a potential US-Iranian deal to end their war in the Middle East.
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi stressed the need for a comprehensive verification regime for Iran's nuclear program, while US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that a second round of talks with Iran could take place in the next two days.
"Iran has a very ambitious and extensive nuclear program, so all of that will require the presence of IAEA inspectors," Grossi told reporters in Seoul, launching Al Arabiya from The Associated Press (16/4).
"Otherwise, you won't have an agreement. You will only have the illusion of an agreement," he said.
The Trump administration said preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons was the main goal of the war. Iran has previously said it is not developing such weapons but rejects restrictions on its nuclear program.
The initial round of talks between the two countries last weekend in Pakistan failed to produce an agreement. The White House said Iran's nuclear ambitions were a key sticking point.
However, an Iranian diplomatic official who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the closed talks, denied that negotiations had failed because of Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Grossi said any deal on nuclear technology "requires very detailed verification mechanisms."
Iran has not allowed the IAEA to access its nuclear facilities bombed by Israel and the United States during a 12-day war in June, according to a confidential IAEA report circulated to member states and seen by the Associated Press in February.
The report stressed that they "cannot verify whether Iran has suspended all enrichment-related activities," or "the size of Iran's uranium stockpile at the affected nuclear facilities."
Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. But the IAEA and Western countries say Tehran had an organized nuclear weapons program until 2003.
The IAEA said Iran had a stockpile of 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, a technical step short of the 90 percent purity level for nuclear weapons.
The stockpile could allow Iran to build up to 10 nuclear bombs, should they decide to weaponize their program, Grossi said previously.
Highly enriched nuclear material must normally be verified every month, according to IAEA guidelines.
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