International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi warned on Tuesday that Iran is “not entirely transparent” regarding its atomic program, The Associated Press reported.
Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Grossi alluded to remarks made this weekend by Ali Akbar Salehi, former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, though he did not name him directly.
Salehi said on the weekend that Iran had all it needed to build a weapon.
“We have all the (pieces) of nuclear science and technology. Let me give an example,” he stated, according to AP. “What does a car need? It needs a chassis, it needs an engine, it needs a steering wheel, it needs a gearbox. Have you made a gearbox? I say yes. An engine? But each one is for its own purpose.”
In his remarks on Tuesday, Grossi warned that Iran is “presenting a face which is not entirely transparent when it comes to its nuclear activities. Of course this increases dangers.”
“There’s loose talk about nuclear weapons more and more, including in Iran recently. A very high official said, in fact, we have everything, it’s disassembled. Well, please let me know what you have,” added the IAEA chief.
The UN agency, based in Vienna, has been struggling since 2021 to carry out controls on Iran's nuclear program.
An IAEA report released in November found there has been no progress on the IAEA investigation into uranium traces found at several undeclared sites in Iran.
Iran a few months ago escalated the conflict with the IAEA by withdrawing accreditation from several top UN nuclear watchdog inspectors.
The Islamic Republic has also increased the rate at which it is producing near weapons grade uranium as a standoff with world powers over the 2015 nuclear deal continues.
Grossi said last month that Iran is barely cooperating with his agency, which feels it is being held "hostage" to the country's disputes with Western countries.