MOSCOW, December 8 (RIA Novosti) – Experts from the UN nuclear watchdog have started inspections at Iran's heavy-water reactor under construction at Arak, the ISNA news agency reported Sunday.
Iran has invited the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit the plant as part of last month’s agreement on a wider inspection of the country’s nuclear sites to remove ambiguity over its disputed nuclear program.
A team of inspectors arrived to visit the nuclear facility, southwest of Tehran, on Saturday. This will be the third visit to site by the IAEA inspectors, spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) told the Fars news agency.
Analysts believe the Arak plant may provide Iran with weapons-grade plutonium, an alternative ingredient for a nuclear bomb. Tehran says Arak was designed to produce isotopes for medical and agricultural use, and that it has no intention to reprocess spent fuel from the reactor into plutonium for weapons.
Tehran has agreed to temporary freeze its nuclear research in exchange for lifting of some of the crippling international sanctions.
