Israel Matzav

IAEA: Indications of 'unusual activity' at Iran's Parchin military base

You should note at the outset that the title of this post is based on Israel Radio's 6:00 pm news report and not on the title of the article I link below.

IAEA Chief Yukiya Amano says that his agency has indications of 'unusual activity' at Iran's Parchin military base just outside Tehran, and urges inspection by his agency as soon as possible.

"We have some indication that activities are ongoing at the Parchin site. It makes us believe that going there sooner is better than later," Amano told a news conference.

His comments confirmed comments made by IAEA-accredited diplomats to Reuters last week, with one referring to reports "we have heard about possible sanitation" of the Parchin facility that he called "very concerning."

Last year's IAEA report laid bare a trove of intelligence pointing to research activities in Iran relevant for developing the means and technologies needed to assemble nuclear weapons, should it decide to do so.

One key finding was information that Iran had built a large containment chamber at Parchin southeast of Tehran in which to conduct high-explosives tests that the IAEA said are "strong indicators of possible weapon development."

Amano also confirmed that Iran, instead of Parchin, had offered access to another site mentioned in an IAEA report in November that pointed to a nuclear weapons agenda in the Islamic state.

Diplomats told Reuters last week that Iran had made a last-minute offer, during talks in Tehran last month, of a visit to a site in Marivan but that this had been turned down by the IAEA.

Amano said the IAEA team, led by the agency's global chief of inspections, only learnt about the alternative site a few hours before it was due to leave Tehran. "With that we cannot do a serious job. That is why we didn't go to Marivan," he said.

It looks like sanctions are having a real effect, aren't they?

The good news is that Parchin is not an underground site. It's a sitting duck except for the fact that it's been built way too close to civilian residences.

What could go wrong?

Labels: IAEA, Iranian nuclear threat, Yukia Amano

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:02 PM