Their presence may indicate that “Iran is taking steps to develop nuclear weapons”, – the newspaper said.
Traces of radioactive substances were found by the IAEA at two Iranian sites during its autumn inspections. The Wall Street Journal made this claim Friday, citing three diplomats who wished to remain anonymous.
The sites in question were two controversial ones that the IAEA has had questions about since early 2020. It suspected it may have stored undeclared nuclear material. After a visit to Tehran by the agency’s director general, Rafael Grossi, in August last year, Iran agreed to let inspectors into the sites. The agency visited in the fall, but no traces of radioactive material were ever reported to have been found there.
The newspaper notes that diplomats were unable to specify what kind of substances were found during the inspections, but said their presence could indicate that “Iran is taking steps to develop nuclear weapons. The publication provides no further details of the IAEA’s findings.
The Wall Street Journal’s publication comes amid uncertainty about the future of the Iran nuclear deal. US President Joe Biden repeatedly criticised Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the deal during the campaign. However, in his first weeks in the White House, he has not made any moves to return to the agreement. During Thursday’s State Department address on major areas of US foreign policy, Biden sidestepped the topic.