Gov't Removes IAEA Nuclear Monitoring Equipment In Response To Report

Iran's state-run Mehr news agency states that the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation has removed two International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) observation cameras, or Online Enrichment Monitors (OLEM) and flowmeter system.

• This is likely to come in response to an IAEA report published last week that issued strong language on what it says is Iran's continued refining of uranium to the point where it is nearing the level of weapons-grade material to create a nuclear weapon.
• The US, France, Germany, and the UK are calling for a motion of censure on Iran at the UN Security Council for its perceived lack of cooperation with the IAEA.
• Prospect of reaching a deal between Iran, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) signatories, and the US seems to be increasingly slim. Tehran rails against IAEA, saying that it is "not appreciating Iran's cooperation", thinks it is "an obligation".
• The prospect of Iran reaching what IAEA head Rafael Grossi called 'a significant quantity of enriched uranium' is likely to see political and security risk in the Middle East escalate. Israel, EU and the US, as well as China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia likely to seek to exert some form of influence.