Iranian Authorities Approve UN Nuclear Watchdog Visit

Defense system at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility. (WIkimedia Commons/Hamed Saber)

JAKARTA - Iran has reportedly agreed to a visit by the United Nations nuclear watchdog this month, as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) seeks answers to Tehran's continued uranium enrichment.

The IAEA on Wednesday said Iran was increasingly expanding its production of enriched uranium, above levels prohibited under the abandoned 2015 Nuclear Deal. Iran is judged to have enough enriched uranium to produce a nuclear bomb, reports The National News November 11.

The IAEA will hold its next quarterly board meeting next week, at which Western powers are expected to push for a resolution urging Tehran to cooperate.

Concerns over Iran's nuclear capabilities were heightened on Wednesday, after announcing the development of a hypersonic missile capable of being claimed to penetrate all missile defense systems.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi "notes Iran's proposal to hold further technical meetings, but stressed these meetings should be aimed at effectively clarifying and resolving the issue", according to a classified report sent to 35 member states ahead of the meeting.

The IAEA "looks forward to starting to receive credible technical explanations from Iran on this matter, including access to sites and materials, as well as appropriate sampling", he said.

Grossi told Reuters he would meet Iranian officials later this month. Tehran is not expected to take concrete action to comply with IAEA standards.

Iran is known to have repeatedly ramped up uranium enrichment, since the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal, installing hundreds of new centrifuges at underground plants in Natanz and Fordow.

The 2015 Nuclear Deal only allowed Iran to produce enriched uranium, with more basic first-generation centrifuges.