Samples taken from a site in Tehran by UN watchdogs showed positive for traces of uranium.
They asked Iran to explain but of course, they didn’t. Last year Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu claimed the facility was a secret holding area that had about 33 pounds of unspecified nuclear material.
The problem is that the deal Obama cut with Iran prevents the UN from inspecting some sites without notifying them first, which means it will be long gone before they let the inspectors in.
But it doesn’t matter because whereas Obama bent over backward for the Iranians, Europe bends over forward.
In a live video chat on Facebook, ahead of an election next week, Netanyahu was asked about the Reuters report.
“I know the issue is being handled by the IAEA. I do not intend to discuss this today. It’s very possible that I will have something to say about it tomorrow,” Netanyahu said.
“But it is certainly an important issue – let me tell you, it’s the most important issue as far as our future is concerned. And I am not relenting for a moment.”
The 2015 nuclear deal, which Netanyahu opposed, imposed tight restrictions on Iran’s atomic program in exchange for sanctions relief, and was based on drawing a line under Iran’s past activities. Both the IAEA and U.S. intelligence services (here) believe Iran had a nuclear weapons program that it ended more than a decade before the deal.
Iran says its nuclear ambitions have always been peaceful.
Hawks such as Netanyahu, who has repeatedly accused Iran of seeking Israel’s destruction, point to Tehran’s past to argue that it can never be trusted. The Islamic Republic’s previous secrecy might explain why uranium traces were found at a location that was never declared to the IAEA.