Tehran | Tehran said on Monday it had invited the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to meet with his foreign minister, the head of the UN organization having expressed concern about the lack of contact with Iranian leaders. as important deadlines approach.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi “has been invited, a date has been suggested for his trip (…) We are awaiting his response,” Iranian diplomacy spokesman Saïd Khatibzadeh told reporters. meetings with the Iranian foreign minister and the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization were scheduled.
On Friday, Mr. Grossi said he was “stunned” not to have yet met senior Iranian leaders, two months after an agreement negotiated with Tehran on the maintenance of monitoring equipment for Iran’s nuclear program.
After this arrangement was concluded, Mr. Grossi was to return quickly to discuss with the government invested in August. He suggested being able to meet with “the president or the foreign minister”. “It’s up to them (the Iranians) to decide,” he added.
Grossi’s comments and Iranian invitation come as talks, suspended since the election in June of ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raïssi, are due to resume in Vienna on November 29 to save the international Iran nuclear deal. in 2015.
Negotiations between Tehran and the other parties (Germany, China, France, United Kingdom, Russia) to relaunch this historic pact, which is supposed to drastically limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for easing economic sanctions, have stalled.
The United States, which unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, will participate indirectly in these discussions.
On Monday, Mr. Khatibzadeh reiterated the Iranian position on the irrevocable return of the United States to the pact. “We have heard the intentions of the United States and their demands for them to join the (Vienna talks), but for us what matters is to be assured of the lifting of sanctions after the checks and necessary guarantees, ”said the spokesperson.