VIENNA, Jun 10 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that, it is removing 27 surveillance cameras from its nuclear facilities, the agency said yesterday, warning, the move could deal “a fatal blow” to chances of reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
IAEA Director-General, Rafael Grossi, told a press conference here that, Tehran’s latest decision “poses a serious challenge to our ability to continue working there.”
Iran’s move came a day after an IAEA board meeting on Wednesday, passed a resolution to censure Iran for its nuclear safeguards issues.
The resolution had been proposed by the United States, Britain, France and Germany, following recent IAEA reports that Iran has not provided “technically credible explanations” to uranium particles at three undeclared sites. However, Iranian officials rejected the reports and insisted the country did not carry out any clandestine and unrecorded nuclear activities.
Grossi said, more than 40 surveillance cameras would remain in operation in Iran, after the country’s latest move. He warned, if an agreement cannot be reached on restoring the cameras in three to four weeks, “this would be a fatal blow” to hopes of reviving the Iran nuclear deal.
Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with the world powers in July, 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear programme, in return for the removal of the U.S.-led sanctions. However, former U.S. President Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement in May, 2018, and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to reduce some of its nuclear commitments under JCPOA.
Since Apr, 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in Vienna between Iran and the remaining JCPOA parties, including China, Britain, France, Russia plus Germany, to revive the pact. However, the Vienna talks have stalled since mid-Mar, due to reported major differences between Iran and the United States.
Wang Chang, deputy head of China’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Vienna, said on Wednesday that, putting pressure on Iran with the IAEA censure resolution “will not help solve problems, but intensity tensions.”
Wang noted that the United States, as the initiator of the current Iran nuclear crisis, should make political decisions as soon as possible, and actively respond to Iran’s legitimate concerns to push for an early deal in the nuclear talks.– NNN-IRNA
