IAEA Pressures Iran as Fate of Talks on Nuclear Deal Hangs in Balance

The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Vienna, Austria May 23, 2021. (Reuters)
The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Vienna, Austria May 23, 2021. (Reuters)
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IAEA Pressures Iran as Fate of Talks on Nuclear Deal Hangs in Balance

The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Vienna, Austria May 23, 2021. (Reuters)
The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Vienna, Austria May 23, 2021. (Reuters)

The UN atomic watchdog chided Iran on Tuesday for failing to answer questions including on uranium traces found at three undeclared sites, which could complicate the resumption of talks to revive Iran's nuclear deal.

Former President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the deal, under which Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions, and Tehran has responded by violating many of those restrictions.

Indirect talks between the United States and Iran on both countries returning to compliance have stopped while Iran's new, hardline President Ebrahim Raisi has taken office. France and Germany have called on Iran to return soon and Raisi has said Tehran is prepared to but not under Western "pressure".

Tuesday's comments from the International Atomic Energy Agency calling out Iran for failing to explain uranium traces found last year and in 2019 at old but undeclared sites could make that diplomacy more difficult.

The IAEA is charged with monitoring Iran's nuclear program including compliance with the deal. Washington and its European allies must now decide whether to push for a resolution criticizing Iran at next week's meeting of the 35-nation IAEA Board of Governors.

A resolution would add to the pressure on Tehran to provide answers that could help the IAEA account for nuclear material that once was at these sites. It could, however, also make resuming the talks on the 2015 nuclear deal harder, since Tehran has previously bristled at such moves.

"The Director General is increasingly concerned that even after some two years the safeguards issues outlined above in relation to the four locations in Iran not declared to the Agency remain unresolved," the IAEA said in one of two quarterly reports on Iran.

The confidential reports by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to member states, issued ahead of next week's meeting of its 35-nation Board of Governors, were reviewed by Reuters. The second report said Iran must resolve outstanding issues relating to the sites, which include questions about a fourth location the IAEA has not inspected, "without further delay".



EU Sanctions Iranian Individuals Accused of Targeting Dissidents

European Union flags fly outside the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
European Union flags fly outside the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
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EU Sanctions Iranian Individuals Accused of Targeting Dissidents

European Union flags fly outside the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo
European Union flags fly outside the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

The EU has imposed sanctions on eight people and one entity responsible for the targeting of Iranian dissidents for assassination on behalf of Iran's government, the European Council said in a statement on Tuesday.

The sanctions, over what it called "serious human rights violations" and "transnational repression", included asset freezes and travel bans, the council said.

The Council listed the Zindashti Network, which it said was a criminal group uconnected to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security that has carried out numerous acts of transnational repression, including assassinations of Iranian dissidents, Reuters reported.

It also included the Zindashti Network's boss Naji Ibrahim Sharifi-Zindashti - who it said was an Iranian narcotics trafficker and organised crime boss - and some of his associates. Zindashti and his network have previously been sanctioned by the United States.

The Council, the European Union's governing body, is also targeting Mohammed Ansari, the leader of the Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Unit 840, who it said ordered the assassination of journalists critical of the Iran.

It said that the listings confirmed the EU’s concerns about transnational repression by Iranian state bodies through the use of proxy agents, in particular involving criminals and organised crime networks targeting dissidents and human rights defenders across the world, including on EU territory.