IAEA to Continue Engagement with Iran to Reach Mutual Understanding

“We are seeking to continue and deepen dialogue with the new government of Iran … with a view to find common grounds," Rafael Grossi said in a joint press briefing with the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami, IRNA reported.

He pointed to the issue of climate change, saying one of the objectives of his trip was to define the prospects of Iran’s nuclear program in a way that it can result in the production of clean energy.

Grossi had earlier visited Iran in September to discuss monitoring issues in view of an Iranian parliamentary law limiting the agency’s access.

“When I came to Iran several months ago, we agreed that I would be returning in a few months to carry on with our joint work on transparency and its persistence,” he said.

The legislation was passed in February as part of countermeasures against the sweeping sanctions that the United States imposed on Tehran after quitting the 2015 nuclear deal.

The IAEA chief reached a last-minute agreement with Iran to keep cameras recording, but leaving the footage sealed until a possible removal of US sanctions.

Back in September, the IAEA managed to service its equipment and replace memory cards, except in a centrifuge component manufacturing workshop in Karaj.

The workshop was the victim of sabotage, which Iran blames on Israel, in June in which one of four IAEA cameras there was destroyed.

No Deviation

The agency also has questions about uranium traces allegedly found in several old sites in Iran.

Eslami said the questions were raised based on evidence presented to the agency by Iran’s enemies, implicitly pointing to Israel.

He said those questions were partly answered and partly remain, but some questions were irrelevant as they were related to past issues that had already been discussed and closed during the negotiations that led to the signing of the nuclear deal.

“Today, we agreed to terminate this case and that these [questions] will not persist along with our ongoing negotiations on a future approach,” he said.

He stressed that all the issues between Iran and the agency are exclusively technical and the IAEA must not be influenced by political agendas and conspiratorial efforts of Iran’s enemies who seek to hinder the country’s nuclear development.

According to Eslami, Grossi repeatedly said during his visit that he had witnessed no deviation in Iran’s nuclear program and that all activities were carried out as per regulations and agreements.

“Iran is determined to implement its nuclear program considering the positive effects of such activity on people’s lives,” he said.

Using all peaceful aspects of the nuclear technology in various sectors is on the agenda and the agency will help the country in this regard, he added.

The IAEA director general’s visit came ahead of the quarterly meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, where members could censure Iran, although it appears unlikely for fear of harming negotiations that aim to restore the 2015 nuclear deal.

Grossi was also set to meet Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian later on Tuesday.