Tehran is ready to consider a Russian and Chinese plan to resume cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Kamal Kharrazi, a top foreign affairs advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei.
Kharrazi’s offer came on the eve of a meeting of the UN atomic watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors to discuss a report by its chief, Rafael Grossi, on the Iranian nuclear program.
Iran had suspended talks with the atomic watchdog after Israel and then the United States attacked its nuclear facilities in June.
Last week, Iran warned the United States and three European countries against submitting a new draft resolution to the IAEA Board of Governors, saying the move would only complicate the current situation without affecting Iran’s safeguards implementation.
According to Mehr News agency, Kharrazi, who is also the head of the Tehran-based Strategic Council for Foreign Relations, said in an interview that Iran has expressed its readiness to consider mediation by Russia and China to revive Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA.
Asked whether Iran sees Russia and China as possible mediators for reaching a new framework for cooperation between Tehran and the Agency, Kharrazi told RIA Novosti on Tuesday, “Yes. If such a plan is proposed, we will consider it.”
On Sunday, the Iranian official said his country is willing to resume nuclear talks with the US if they are conducted respectfully.
“They have to make the first move to show that they are ready to engage with us on the conditions that we put... it has to be based on equal footing and mutual respect,” he told CNN.
“Unfortunately, President (Donald) Trump does not believe in diplomatic engagement but rather prefers to use force to achieve his objectives,” he added.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission warned that any politically driven or hostile resolution against Iran at the upcoming IAEA Board of Governors meeting will prompt a proportionate response.
Deputy Ebrahim Azizi told Tasnim news agency that Iran’s reaction to Grossi’s conduct and “malevolence” should no longer be limited to mere warnings, describing current actions by the IAEA chief and Western institutions as deliberate and targeted moves against Iran’s national interests.
On Monday, Iranian Foreign Abbas Araghchi held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and discussed the nuclear file and Moscow’s position regarding the upcoming IAEA meeting this week.
In a statement issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Araghchi said the UN atomic watchdog needs to adhere to its technical mandate and avoid politicized behavior or yielding to pressure and political influence from the United States and some European members.
Referring to IAEA Board of Governors meeting, the two sides also agreed to coordinate positions and cooperation, while emphasizing the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program.
Iranian officials had warned the UN body against adopting an anti-Iran resolution.
“There’s no undeclared nuclear enrichment facility in Iran; all of our facilities are under the safeguard and monitoring of the agency,” Araghchi said during a forum held in Tehran on Sunday.
Two days later, Iran’s government spokeswoman reaffirmed Araghchi’s statements, saying her country cannot enrich uranium due to damage from Israeli and American strikes on its nuclear sites.
“Given the damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear processes, enrichment is not currently possible,” Fatemeh Mohajerani told a news conference in Tehran, referring to attacks during the 12-day war in June.
Also, Mohajerani warned the IAEA from adopting any western resolution against Iran during its Board of Governors meeting.
She said, “Iran’s Foreign Ministry, the Atomic Energy Organization, and the Supreme National Security Council will review the matter. Parliament could also get involved if necessary.”
At the forum last Sunday, Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said, “In case of a resolution, Iran will consider a review of its relations with the IAEA and will conduct a fundamental review.”
Last September, Iran signed a deal with the UN nuclear watchdog in Cairo to allow the IAEA to resume inspections at all declared Iranian nuclear facilities including those damaged in Israeli and US strikes in June.
But later after the E3 countries restored UN sanctions on Iran through the so-called snapback mechanism, Iranian officials said the deal with the IAEA would “certainly be halted.”
Last week, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate phone calls with Iranian Araghchi and Grossi to follow up on developments related to Iran’s nuclear file and efforts to de-escalate tension between the two sides.
The two calls touched on developments ahead of the IAEA Board of Governors meeting as Abdelatty underscored the importance of maintaining dialogue within multilateral frameworks to support the global non-proliferation system at both the regional and international levels and to bolster international security and stability.
