Iran's enriched nuclear material is "under the rubble" of sites damaged in the 12-day war with Israel and authorities are assessing whether it can be reached, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.
In an interview with state TV on Thursday, he insisted that a new framework agreed to by Tehran and the UN's nuclear watchdog will only grant access to inspectors after approval by Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
"All of our material is ... under the rubble of the bombed facilities," he said. Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation was assessing the condition of the stockpile, he added.
Iran and the IAEA agreed to a new co-operation framework on Tuesday. Tehran suspended ties with the agency after the war with Israel in June, during which Iranian nuclear sites were hit by Israeli and US strikes.
Mr Araghchi said the agreement distinguished between nuclear sites attacked during the war and others that were unharmed, including the Bushehr nuclear power plant in the south of the country.
Access to undamaged sites will be "considered on a case by case basis by the Supreme National Security Council", but the situation for the targeted facilities was more "complicated", he said.
"For now, no action will be taken until Iran carries out the necessary measures related to environmental and safety concerns," he added, referring to the damaged sites.
"No inspections are currently on the agenda," he added.
On Wednesday, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi said the agreement includes "all facilities and installations in Iran" and "provides for a clear understanding of the procedures for inspections". He had said in late June that the location of Iran's enriched material was unknown after the war with Israel.
The agency said in a report that Iran held an estimated 440.9kg of uranium enriched to up to 60 per cent as of June 13, when the conflict began. Uranium enriched to up to 90 per cent can be used for weapons.
Western countries have accused Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon – a charge Tehran has consistently denied. Instead, it maintains that its nuclear programme is peaceful.
Mr Araghchi also said a deal to exchange French prisoners in Iran for an Iranian woman held in France was nearly concluded. The proposed swap involves Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian woman arrested in France in February on charges of promoting terrorism through social media.
"We have carried out a great deal of activity and I can now say that we have reached the point where the exchange of the French prisoners in Iran is now approaching its final stages," Mr Araghchi said, without elaborating.
Iran has repeatedly called for the release of Ms Esfandiari, arguing that she has been unjustly detained.
France has said it will lodge a complaint against Tehran at the International Court of Justice over the detention of two French citizens – Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris. Ms Kohler, 40, and Mr Paris, in his 70s, were arrested in May 2022 and charged with spying for Israel. Their families have described their situation as increasingly desperate.
The pair are among about 20 Europeans currently detained in Iran, including a French-German teenager, Lennart Monterlos, who was aiming to cycle from Europe to Asia, but disappeared in Iran in June.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
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Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog
Age: 23
Occupation: Founder of the Studio, formerly an analyst at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Education: Bachelor of science in industrial engineering
Favourite hobby: playing the piano
Favourite quote: "There is a key to every door and a dawn to every dark night"
Family: Married and with a daughter
