Standoff with Iran over inspections cannot go on forever

The standoff with Iran over accounting for its stock of highly enriched uranium and inspecting nuclear facilities bombed by the United States and Israel cannot go on forever, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday.



The International Atomic Energy Agency has inspected all 13 declared nuclear facilities in Iran that were not bombed, but has been unable to inspect any of the three key sites that were bombed in June - Natanz, Fordow or Isfahan - Grossi told Reuters in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos.



Iran must first file a report to the IAEA on what happened to those sites and material, including an estimated 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% weapons-grade level. That is enough material, if enriched further, for 10 nuclear bombs, according to an IAEA yardstick.