The U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has found traces of uranium at a facility in Tehran that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called a “secret atomic warehouse,” Reuters reported on Sunday.
The IAEA has asked Iran to explain the traces, but so far Tehran has not done so, according to the report.
In a speech a year ago, Netanyahu called on the IAEA to inspect the site immediately, claiming that it had housed 33 pounds of unspecified radioactive material that had since been removed.
Meanwhile, IAEA acting director general Cornel Feruta met with officials in Tehran on Sunday to discuss verification and monitoring activities, according to a statement published by the agency on Monday.
“Regarding the implementation of Iran’s Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol, during my discussions in Tehran, I emphasized the importance of full and timely cooperation by Iran,” said Feruta.
“It is important to advance our interactions and, therefore, I also stressed the need for Iran to respond promptly to Agency questions related to the completeness of Iran’s safeguards declarations. The Agency will continue its efforts and will remain actively engaged. Time is of the essence,” he added.
Reuters first reported in April that the IAEA had inspected the site, taking samples for analysis.
