Iranian nuclear facility
Iranian nuclear facilityReuters

A United Nations nuclear inspector from South Korea was killed in Iran in a car crash Tuesday. Iran’s government-controlled Iranians Student News Agency media said it was an accident.

Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) said two U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts were on a mission "in the vicinity of Khandab Complex in the Markazi province when…the car carrying the two skidded and overturned at around 12 p.m. Tuesday.” The second inspector, from Slovakia, was injured.

Iran “extended its condolences to the families and colleagues of the two experts.”  

The crash occurred before a scheduled meeting between Iranian officials and inspectors from IAEA.

The use of the Iranian Students News Agency, employed by the Iranian regime to announce government policies, raises questions concerning the “accident.”  Iran claimed that the victim was not wearing a seat belt.

Iran may have been concerned that the inspector who was killed is from South Korea, whose enemy North Korea also is at odds with the West over its nuclear weapons project. North Korea also is a major partner in Iran’s nuclear program, which Tehran claims is for peaceful purposes to generate electricity.

Iran has claimed that the reactor the inspectors were to visit is to be used to produce isotopes for medical research. Israel and the United States assume that the fuel from the reactors will be reprocessed to manufacture a nuclear weapon, most likely a warhead for a missile aimed at Israel.

The West has accused Iran of “buying time” by stalling United Nations inspectors and creating obstacles to inspecting Iran’s nuclear facilities, which already are producing enriched uranium at 20 percent grade.