(United Nations) Iran appears willing to resume nuclear negotiations, but is currently refusing the return to its sites of inspectors whose accreditation has been withdrawn, the head of the International Nuclear Agency said on Thursday. atomic energy (IAEA) in an interview with AFP.
The Iranians “are showing signs of willingness to re-engage, not only with the IAEA, but also […] with our former partners in the 2015 nuclear agreement,” said Rafael Grossi, based on his discussions this week in New York with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the General Assembly of the ‘UN.
On the other hand, Tehran does not intend to “put the inspectors back on the list” whose accreditation has been withdrawn, he explained, while considering the opportune moment “to do something” with the Iranians.
Iran has sharply reduced site inspections since 2021. Surveillance cameras were disconnected and the accreditation of a group of experts was withdrawn. A situation that the head of the IAEA has constantly deplored.
PHOTO LEONHARD FOEGER, REUTERS ARCHIVES
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi
Rafael Grossi, whose relations with the Iranian authorities have deteriorated in recent years due to their lack of cooperation, is due to go to Tehran in October where he will not fail to put pressure so that the inspectors banned from the sites can return.
During his visit, he plans to discuss “different monitoring and verification measures that we could agree on before a broader agreement.”
“I think getting an agreement with Iran on these issues would be a very constructive indication […] towards future negotiations,” he also opined.
Iran’s nuclear program has continued to gain momentum, even if Tehran denies wanting to acquire the bomb.
According to the IAEA, the Islamic Republic has significantly increased its reserves of enriched materials to 60%, close to the 90% needed to develop an atomic weapon.
“It’s up to them to decide”
But since the arrival last summer of reformist President Massoud Pezeshkian, Tehran has expressed its wish to relaunch negotiations to revive the agreement concluded in 2015 with the European countries of the E3 (Paris, London, Berlin), the States -United States, Russia and China.
This pact, known by the acronym JCPOA, was supposed to regulate Iran’s atomic activities in exchange for a lifting of international sanctions.
But it was shattered after the American withdrawal decided in 2018 by the then president, Donald Trump. Negotiations in Vienna failed in the summer of 2022.
For the moment, Europeans are cautious about the possibility of a return to the discussion table in the run-up to the American presidential election at the beginning of November and while all attempts have failed in recent years.
“If things develop in a positive way, it could be, and I think it is the intention of the president (Pezeshkian) and the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Abbas Araghchi), that there will be a resumption of discussions with the former negotiating partners to see what type of framework,” Rafael Grossi nevertheless declared to AFP.
The question being whether this will be that of the JCPOA or not.
“Will it be the same? Will this be something completely different? […] ? It is up to them (negotiators) to decide if it is feasible, realistic and useful,” he stressed.
“This is a moment when there is a possibility of doing something” on the nuclear issue, insisted Rafael Grossi. “The advantage of Araghchi is that he knows everything about this process, which allows us to move forward more quickly,” he highlighted.