UN watchdog chief: Iran said at start of war it was taking ‘special measures’ to protect enriched uranium

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi says his top priority is getting his inspectors back to Iran’s nuclear facilities to assess the impact of US and Israeli military strikes and verify its stocks of enriched uranium, which Tehran said it took “special measures” to protect.

“This is the number 1 priority,” International Atomic Energy Agency chief Grossi tells a news conference at an Austrian security cabinet meeting.

He is seeking IAEA inspectors’ return to Iranian sites, including the three plants where it was enriching uranium until Israel launched strikes on June 13.

Asked if Iran had informed him of the status of its stocks of enriched uranium, particularly its uranium enriched to up to 60% purity, close to weapons grade, he points to a letter he received from Iran on June 13, saying Iran would take “special measures” to protect its nuclear materials and equipment.

“They did not get into details as to what that meant but clearly that was the implicit meaning of that. We can imagine this material is there,” Grossi says, suggesting much of the uranium had survived the attacks.

Iran, which avowedly seeks Israel’s destruction, has enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, has obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities. Israel says Iran has recently taken steps toward weaponization.