The United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said Iran's explanation for the presence of nuclear material in undisclosed locations is "unreliable."
According to the AFP news agency, the IAEA said in a statement that Iranian officials had provided some information regarding the nuclear sites and that the agency had informed Iran that its response was technical. However, it is still under consideration.
"The full report on the presence of uranium particles at one location in Iran does not provide the agency with the necessary explanations," the statement said.
The IAEA did not specify the location in its report, but diplomatic sources said it was in Tehran's Torquzabad district, which Israel had previously said was involved in alleged covert nuclear activities. ۔
According to the news agency, sources familiar with the matter said that there are no signs of uranium use at the site but it may be used for uranium storage by the end of 2018.
On the other hand, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's envoy to the IAEA, wrote on Twitter that "any kind of hasty statement should be avoided."
"Meetings are being held to finalize a solution to the issue," he said.
The IAEA report on the samples obtained in September did not provide any new information about the two locations, but the samples are being analyzed.
The report confirms that Iran's uranium reserves have increased 12-fold since the terms of agreements reached with world powers in 2015, while the growth rate has slowed since the last report.
It should be noted that US President Donald Trump announced his withdrawal from the 2015 agreement of the world powers in 2018, after which the implementation of the agreement was delayed due to the re-imposition of economic sanctions on Iran.
In response, Iran violated the terms of its nuclear program and announced plans to increase its uranium enrichment program.
It should be noted that in August this year, Iran had agreed to give access to two former secret nuclear facilities after a month-long conflict with the UN agency IAEA.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi visited Tehran and the agreement was reached as a result of high-level talks.
Raphael Grossi and Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's nuclear agency, said in a joint statement that "Iran will voluntarily give the IAEA access to the two locations it has identified."
"Dates and certified activities have been agreed upon to give access to the IAEA," the statement said.
The IAEA made it clear that Iran would not be asked any questions in return.
Earlier, the IAEA had spent months trying to gain access to installations in Tehran and Isfahan, accusing Iran of possessing undeclared nuclear material that could be used to make weapons.
In June this year, the IAEA stepped up pressure on Iran to allow inspectors access to the sites following a resolution passed by the Board of Governors.
Iran was asked to fully cooperate with the IAEA in implementing the NPT Safe Guards Agreement and additional measures.
The resolution was tabled at a meeting of the Board of Governors by France, Germany and the United Kingdom, with 25 members voting in favor and two against, with seven abstentions.
Later, on October 1, the IAEA reviewed the second location after Iran granted access to a former secret nuclear facility.
The IAEA said a second nuclear site was also considered after the deal with Iran.
The IAEA did not name the location but made it clear that suspicious activity was taking place in 2003, but now the IAEA and US intelligence agencies believe that Iran has eliminated secret nuclear activities.
The UN agency said in a statement that "in accordance with the agreement on access to Iran's nuclear facilities, the second site was reviewed this week and environmental samples were taken."
It may be recalled that IAEA chief Rafael Grossi visited Iran in 2015, just days before the signing of the nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers.
The agreement with Iran was dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which agreed to limit Iran's nuclear program.
In an agreement with world powers, Iran promised not to continue building nuclear weapons, in response to which international sanctions were lifted.
Iran was allowed to export its oil and gas to any country in the world.
Later, when Donald Trump was elected President of the United States in 2018, he unilaterally announced the termination of the agreement with Iran and restored economic sanctions on Iran.
After the US move, Iran faced economic difficulties and announced the resumption of its nuclear activities.
