Iran is barely cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which feels it is being held "hostage" to the country's disputes with Western countries, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi has told AFP.
For the past two years, tensions have characterized the relationship between Iran and the United Nations agency, marked by a series of contentious issues. Among these concerns are Iran's limitations on the monitoring activities related to its nuclear program and its failure to provide complete clarification regarding the detection of nuclear material traces at previously undisclosed sites.
Meanwhile, Iran persists in advancing its nuclear program, intensifying the production of enriched uranium by 60 percent. Western powers argue that this percentage has no civilian justification, despite Tehran's insistence on denying any intention to pursue the development of an atomic bomb.
"It's a very frustrating situation. We continue our activities there, but at a minimum," Grossi said in an interview on Thursday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. "They are restricting cooperation in a very unprecedented way."
He cited Iran's rejection of inspectors because of their nationalities as an example.
"It's a way to punish us because of external things," he said. "When there's something that France, the UK, or the United States says that they don't like, it is as if they were taking the IAEA hostage to their political disputes with others. This is unacceptable for us."
Iran last year slowed down its pace of uranium enrichment, which was seen as a goodwill gesture, while informal talks began with the United States. But it accelerated enrichment once again following the war in Gaza.
"There is a plateau at the moment, but it could change in the next few days," Grossi said. "We never know."
"Diplomacy, diplomacy, diplomacy, this is what we need. We need to continue talking; we need to prevent the situation deteriorating to a degree where it would be impossible to retrieve it."
"I would not exclude returning to Iran," Grossi added.
The already poor relations between Washington and Teheran have worsened with the conflict between Israel and Hamas, with each nation accusing the other of inflaming the situation.
In a statement shared on the X platform on Wednesday, Ali Bagheri-Kani, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, disclosed that discussions took place in Geneva between him and his European Union counterpart, Enrique Mora, addressing the Gaza conflict and the sanctions imposed on Iran.
During a session in Davos, Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, expressed Tehran’s openness to any measure facilitating the return of the parties involved in the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement to fulfill their respective obligations.
“The United States hopes that as the current Middle East crisis abates over time, it may be possible to engage in a more fruitful dialogue about Iran's nuclear program,” White House National Security Council Senior Director Pranay Vaddi said.
“We do not want to see an Iran with nuclear weapons,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told the press.
