The US and Israel are pushing for investigation of the two sites
The two sites, one in Isfahan and the other in Tehran have been pushed by Israel and then the US as being secret sites. Iran denies that either of the two was ever a nuclear site. A first visit to the sites found no evidence of any nuclear activity. Nevertheless the US has been pressuring the IAEA to carry out further visits.
Permission for new inspection granted
Grossi and Iran’s nuclear energy chief, Ali Akbar Salehi confirmed in a joint statement: “Iran is voluntarily providing the IAEA with access to the two locations specified by the IAEA.” This is Grossi’s first visit to Iran since he took office last December.
Dates for inspection have been set but not announced
Although officials confirm that dates have been set for each visit. The IAEA refuses to reveal them claiming that the dates are confidential. However the IAEA said the visits would be very very soon. Iran did not comment on the date issue.
Iran wants the issue of the two sites over
Iran wants to put the issue of the two sites to rest. Iran has complained that no matter what the IAEA finds the US is going to press for more visits and the issue may never be resolved.
In March, Grossi informed the iAEA that Iran had denied the agency inspectors access to the two sites.where uranium conversion and explosives testing are suspected of being carried out in the early 2,000s. Demolition and other work to sanitize or remove traces of the past activity that might have removed traces of the past activity appears to have happened at the sites.
That Iran is now allowing IAEA inspections will give the US even less ammunition to impose extend the UN arms embargo on Iran. The US was soundly defeated when it tried to extend the embargo at the UN with only the Dominican Republic support the US resolution. The US then tried to evoke snapback sanctions at the UN again failed but angered some US allies. US policy of attempting to put maximum pressure on Iran is isolating the US internationally even from some of its own close allies. Nevertheless US hawkish policies of exerting maximum pressure on Iran seem to be continuing.
