IAEA Inspectors Find Radioactive Traces At 2 Iranian Facilities - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th February, 2021) Inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have found radioactive traces at two Iranian facilities sparking concern over possible undeclared nuclear activities in the Islamic republic, media reported.

The samples were taken during the IAEA inspection carried out in the fall, The Wall Street Journal magazine reported on late Friday, citing three diplomats briefed on the issue.

The diplomats told The Wall Street Journal they did not know the nature of what the IAEA inspection found.

The IAEA has not reportedly informed the member states about its findings in Iran, and in line with the existing procedures, the organization is currently asking Iran to provide explanations of the found materials.

In 2015, Iran agreed to scale down its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of its sanctions. The agreement, known as the Iran nuclear deal, was undermined by the 2018 US decision to unilaterally withdraw from it and re-impose sanctions on Tehran.

Last month, Iran said it had begun enriching uranium to 20 percent of purity at the Fordo underground facility and was ready to bar the IAEA inspectors from getting access to its nuclear sites unless the United States scrapped its sanctions against the Islamic republic.