IAEA Will Have No Access to Surveillance Camera Footage in Iran

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will have no access to footage captured by surveillance cameras at Iranian nuclear sites, Iran‘s state-run Press news channel said on Saturday.

The channel added that an “informed source rejects reports suggesting that Iran may reconsider (its) decision on IAEA access restrictions.”

The report, yet to be confirmed by the Iranian government, comes as the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief, Rafael Grossi, prepared to fly to Tehran for talks that could ease a standoff between Iran and the West. The IAEA informed member states this week that there had been no progress on two key issues: explaining uranium traces found at several old, undeclared sites and getting urgent access to monitoring equipment so that the agency can continue to keep track of parts of Iran‘s nuclear program.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday commented on the IAEA report that was issued this week on the Iranian nuclear issue:

“Israel views with utmost gravity the picture of the situation reflected in the report, which proves that Iran is continuing to lie to the world and advance a program to develop nuclear weapons, while denying its international commitments.

“It must be made certain that Iran will never have a nuclear weapons capability.

“I call for an appropriate and rapid international reaction to the severe actions of Iran. The IAEA report warns that the time to act is now; therefore, the naïve expectation that Iran will be prepared to change its path via negotiations has been proven to be baseless.

“Only a vigorous stand by the international community, backed up by decisions and actions, will be able to lead to a change by the regime in Tehran, which has lost all restraint.

“Israel will do everything to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons.”