TEHRAN – Iran’s top nuclear official has said that the surveillance cameras operated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Iran’s nuclear facilities have been removed and sealed.

Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said the raison d'etre for the installation of the cameras was to dispel accusations leveled by the West against Iran, but since it continued its charges, Iran decided to remove them.

The cameras in question were installed in accordance with the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“The JCPOA-related cameras were installed with the purpose of debunking accusations and if the accusations were to continue, then there would be no reason for the JCPOA-related cameras to operate. Therefore, these cameras were removed and sealed by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and they are being kept in a facility,” he said on the sidelines of a government gathering, according to Fars News.