The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog will travel to Tehran on Monday for meetings with senior Iranian officials aimed at improving cooperation on Iran’s nuclear activities.
The visit announced on Saturday comes in the afternoon of tensions between the United States and its European allies over Washington’s bid to impose an arms embargo on Iran and to reopen UN sanctions from 2006.
It will be the first trip to Iran by Rafael Mariano Grossi, since he became Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in December last year.
The IAEA said in a statement Grossi will adjust Iran’s cooperation with the agency, especially access for its inspectors to certain sites.
I will travel to Tehran on Monday for meetings with Iranian authorities to address ongoing questions regarding security measures in Iran. I hope to direct a fruitful and collaborative channel of direct dialogue. It is necessary. pic.twitter.com/nkF0X8A4ZM
– Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) August 22, 2020
“My aim is that my meetings in Tehran will lead to concrete progress in addressing the proposed issues that the agency has related to safeguard measures in Iran and, in particular, resolving the issue of access,” he said.
“I also hope to establish a fruitful and collaborative channel of direct dialogue with the Iranian government that will be valuable now and in the future.”
His visit will take place shortly before a September 1 meeting in Vienna of the Joint Committee on a 2015 deal between Iran and global powers aimed at preventing Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb.
The Iranian delegation to international organizations in the Austrian capital tweeted that “we hope this attempt will lead to enhanced mutual cooperation”.
Since US President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled Washington out of the nuclear deal with Tehran in 2018, the other signatories – France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and China – have struggled to stay alive.
Known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, the pledge promises Iran economic stimulus in exchange for sidewalks on its nuclear program.
Iran’s economy has been steadily declining under the weight of re-imposed US sanctions and Tehran has begun scaling up its commitments to the agreement to try to pressure other countries to do more to compensate for Washington’s sanctions.
At the same time, Iran has continued to give IAEA inspectors access to its nuclear facilities – one of the main reasons the countries are still party to the agreement stressing that it is important to stay alive.
“Last week, the US eased the pressure, officially informing the UN that it demanded the restoration of all UN sanctions on Iran, claiming that Tehran has not been complied with and calling for a nuclear deal to impose even more sanctions.” to snap back “.
Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, who often disagree, all declared US action illegal, arguing that it was impossible to withdraw from a deal and then using the resolution approving it. to re-impose sanctions.
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