THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY Agency (IAEA) says that Iran is hampering its efforts to monitor its nuclear development programme.

According to the latest IAEA report seen by AFP, the watchdog complained that Iran repeatedly objected to the list of designated inspectors, as it is entitled to do.

In June, two inspectors who reported undeclared Iranian nuclear experiments were subsequently cast from their monitoring role by Iran. Iranian authorities accused the inspectors of inaccurate reporting.

The IAEA also said in its report that a number of seals on its equipment at the uranium enrichment plant in Natanz, Iran, had been broken.

However, the seals could have been broken if equipment was moved. Iran says the breakages were accidental.

Uranium fears

Iran has proceeded with enrichment of higher and higher percentages, in spite of UN sanctions, coming close to 20% purification in Feburary.

Enriched uranium can be used to generate power and to produce fissile material for atomic bombs. Iran’s total production of the material has reached 2.8 tonnes since May, Al Jazeera reports.

Iran is now understood to have overcome the biggest  problems in the enrichment process, making it relatively easy to increase the purification level of enriched uranium.

The Telegraph writes that Iran is now on the brink of manufacturing a nuclear weapon. It reports that while international sanctions have impacted on the Iranian economy, they have not deterred or impeded its nuclear programme.

In the middle of August, Russia announced that it would provide low-enriched uranium to Iran for its power plant in Bushehr. Under the agreement reached between the two countries, Iran is required to return the spent nuclear material to Russia.