By James Simons-
Iran has turned off two surveillance cameras used by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog to monitor one of the country’s atomic sites, state television has reported.
The news comes as western nations seek to censure Iran at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), based in Vienna, this week.
AD: Capeesh Restaurant
Iran had agreed to the nuclear deal with the international community in 2015 which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
In 2018, then-U.S president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord, raising tensions across the wider Middle East, which sparked a series of attacks and incidents.
Iran has broken every constraint imposed by the deal, and now enriches uranium up to 60% purity — a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
AD: Oysterian Sea Food Restaurant And Bar
Iran has been holding footage from IAEA surveillance cameras since February 2021 as a pressure tactic to restore the atomic accord.
Negotiations between Iran and the West to restart the accord fell apart in March.
The report about Wednesday’s development did not identify the site.
But Iranian state television described the two cameras as monitoring “OLEM enrichment levels and flowmeters”.
This appears to refer to the IAEA’s Online Enrichment Monitors, which look at the enrichment of uranium gas through piping at enrichment facilities.
AD: Heritage And Restaurant Lounge Bar