Iran atomic energy chief: Inspection of damaged nuclear sites contingent on new protocol

Pars Today – The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) cannot seek to inspect nuclear facilities targeted in military attacks until specific rules and a new protocol for inspecting such sites are established.

According to Pars Today, citing Mehr News Agency, Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, made the remarks while speaking to reporters in response to a question about inspections of damaged nuclear facilities.

Noting that Iran’s nuclear facilities had been under IAEA monitoring and were registered with the agency prior to the attacks, Eslami said: “Until the International Atomic Energy Agency fulfills its responsibilities and a new protocol is established for inspecting these facilities, IAEA inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites will not be possible.”

He added: “Under a law passed by the Iranian Parliament concerning facilities that have been subjected to military attacks, the security situation at the sites must first be determined. The IAEA must also have a specific protocol governing how these facilities are to be inspected.”