Iran on Thursday rejected a report claiming that the IAEA’s inspections of the country’s nuclear activities have “plunged”.
The head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, stressed that Iran and IAEA ties are “established and continuing” based on the agreement signed in March.
Eslami explained that relations between Iran and the IAEA are continuing on the basis of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and its safeguards obligations, adding that no disruption has occurred.
The Iranian official made the remarks in an address to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting, rejecting a report by Bloomberg about a plunge in IAEA's inspections of the country's nuclear activities by 10 percent after Tehran decided to turn off the surveillance cameras in June.
Inspectors “were seriously affected by Iran’s decision,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said.
Grossi added in an interview that the chances of Iran returning to the JCPOA are slim, but it's important to keep interacting with Tehran.
Eslami commented that “The Agency is not in charge of the (JCPOA) negotiations. It is up to the P5+1,” which includes the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.
In response to a question about whether the arms embargo on Iran will be lifted by October 2023, Eslami said, “Yes, according to the JCPOA, the arms embargo should be lifted.”
Shahriar Heydari, a member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, informed Mehr News Agency that the resumption of nuclear talks is possible given a group of US and European messages.
Commenting on the possibility of returning to the negotiations, the Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State Vedant Patel said, “I don’t have anything to announce this time.”
“First, President Biden and Secretary Blinken are absolutely committed to never allowing Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. We have always believed that diplomacy is the best path forward to put a way to verifiably and durably ensure Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon,” according to Patel.
US Senator Jim Risch stated, “it’s been over six months since President Biden declared the JCPOA ‘dead’ and we’re still no closer to a more comprehensive Iran policy. Strategic ambiguity on Iran policy only serves to embolden the regime and push our partners closer to China. As Iran continues to illegally seize vessels, target Americans in the region, and support its terror proxies and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Americans deserve a policy that is more than a failed nuclear negotiation.”
