VIENNA, Mar 5 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran “expressed its readiness to continue its cooperation and provide further information and access, to address the outstanding safeguards issues,” according to a joint statement by the IAEA and the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), which was published on the IAEA website yesterday.
Iran’s outstanding safeguards issues are reportedly one of the sticking points in the Iran nuclear talks, which have been stalled since Aug last year. While the IAEA has accused Iran of failing to provide “technically credible explanations” for nuclear activities at three undeclared sites, Iranian officials have repeatedly rejected the claim and insisted on the transparency and peaceful nature of its nuclear programme.
The joint statement came, after IAEA Director General, Rafael Grossi’s visit to Tehran on Friday and yesterday, during which he met with Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and AEOI President, Mohammad Eslami.
At a press conference held in Vienna yesterday, upon Grossi’s return from Tehran, the IAEA chief said, surveillance cameras will be reconnected at several of Iran’s nuclear sites.
Earlier yesterday, Grossi said in Tehran, cooperation between IAEA and Iran, and the “good agreement” the two sides are expected to reach, will contribute to the revival of the 2015 deal.
Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in Jul, 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear programme, in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. The United States, however, pulled out of the deal in May, 2018, and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.
The talks on the JCPOA’s revival began in Apr, 2021, in Vienna. No breakthrough has been achieved after the latest round of talks, in Aug last year.– NNN-IRNA
