Iran plans to keep video footage of nuclear sites from UN watchdog until a deal with US is reached

Iran plans to prevent inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog reviewing video footage of some nuclear sites until there is an agreement to salvage the Iran nuclear deal, a senior Iranian official told CNN.

CNN)Iran plans to prevent inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog reviewing video footage of some nuclear sites until there is an agreement to salvage the Iran nuclear deal, a senior Iranian official told CNN.

The decision puts pressure on talks taking place in Vienna which are seeking to bring the US and Iran back into compliance with the 2015 deal.

“If the talks succeed Iran will surely show the tapes to the IAEA,” the official said. “Sharing the tapes depends on the way that the negotiations will proceed. The key to the question is the agreement. If they agree on something that will open the door for cooperation and better understanding including in the area of transparency.”

The agreement between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran to allow them to review video footage at some Iranian nuclear sites expired more than a week ago, leaving a blind spot for the international community when it comes to certain elements of Iran’s nuclear program. Secretary of State Tony Blinken said that the US has serious concerns about the lapse in the agreement, and those concerns have been shared with Iran. Last month, a senior State Department official said that not extending the IAEA agreement would make it “that much more complicated” to get back into the deal.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/02/politics/iran-nuclear-site-footage-un/index.html