IAEA Ready to Immediately Deploy Inspectors to Iran If Requested — Grossi
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Rafael Grossi.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is ready to immediately send inspectors to Iran to fully resume operations in the country if it receives such a request, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told Sputnik. «Immediately. If we were asked, tomorrow,» Grossi said when asked about the timeframe for a possible resumption of IAEA work in Iran. Responding to a follow-up question about how realistic such a deployment would be, the agency chief said that the experts are already prepared to return. «Realistically as well. Our teams are ready. We know exactly where to go and what to do. So it’s not just a phrase; it’s a real capability that we have. Our teams are ready to deploy immediately,» Grossi said. Full-scale IAEA inspection activities in Iran were interrupted last year following strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and Tehran’s subsequent decision to suspend cooperation with the agency. IAEA inspectors were withdrawn from the country for security reasons, while the agency’s access to nuclear facilities subject to safeguards was significantly restricted.
