Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on Sunday that a senior official from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will fly to Iran for talks on Monday, but the visit does not include arrangements for inspecting nuclear facilities.
In a post on the social media platform Telegram, Araghchi stated, “Negotiations with the IAEA will take place tomorrow to determine a framework for cooperation.”
Araghchi disclosed in his post that the visitor is a deputy of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.
He wrote, “One of Grossi’s deputy directors will arrive in Tehran tomorrow, and there are no plans to visit any nuclear facilities until we reach a framework agreement.”
Since Israel’s military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June, IAEA inspectors have been unable to access Iran’s nuclear sites. However, Grossi has emphasized that verifying Iran’s nuclear facilities remains his top priority.
Iran has criticized the IAEA for releasing a condemnation report on May 31, which concluded that Iran had violated its obligations regarding nuclear non-proliferation. This report has, in effect, paved the way for potential airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities by Israel and the United States.
Iran denies seeking to develop nuclear weapons and claims to remain committed to fulfilling its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
During the 12-day conflict in June, Iran’s key nuclear facilities suffered significant damage, resulting in the temporary inability to resume uranium enrichment, easing concerns about Iran’s nuclear threat for the Western countries, at least temporarily.
However, last month, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the execution of a law passed by the Iranian parliament, suspending cooperation with the IAEA. The law stipulates that any future inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities by the IAEA require approval from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. This move could further restrict the IAEA’s ability to track Iran’s nuclear program, as the country had enriched uranium to near-weapons-grade levels before the airstrikes.
Iran has previously used limiting IAEA inspections as a pressure tactic in negotiations with Western countries. It remains unclear when negotiations between Iran and the United States regarding its nuclear program will resume.