TEHRAN – After weeks of stagnant cooperation, Foreign Minister Abbas Araguchi said inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been allowed to return to Iran.
However, Araghchi warned against interpreting this as a return to full cooperation, emphasizing that interaction with the UN nuclear watchdog agency remains strictly controlled by the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).
Speaking to the Tehran press on Wednesday, Araguchi revealed that the limited presence of the IAEA is to oversee the fuel exchange process, particularly at the Bucher nuclear power plant. He emphasized that recent Parliamentary Act requires SNSC approval for all IAEA-related activities. Araghchi noted that ongoing consultations on a new form of cooperation are still under consideration, referring to the provocations carried out by the Israeli regime and the United States in June. “There are no texts that have been finalized yet,” he explained.
Iranian parliament has halted cooperation with UN nuclear watchdogs after Iranian Esfahan, Natanz and Ford hit US Israeli airstrikes and the IAEA refrained from condemning illegal attacks. Iran also fears that the IAEA can allow targeted nuclear sites to test for damages and provide new information on how to attack Americans and Israelis next. Before the war, Iranian Intelligence Agency recovered secret documents showing that Director Rafael Grossi was in close contact with Israeli officials and explained Iran’s nuclear program. Several Iranian nuclear scientists are believed to have been assassinated through information provided by the IAEA.
Addressing Araghchi’s remarks, Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI), confirmed that the arrival of inspectors is related to routine operations at Bushehr.
Grossi also confirmed the return of the inspector to Iran on August 26th. In an interview, Grossi hinted at attacks affecting Iran’s nuclear facilities, highlighting the need for an amended operational plan.
“You know, when it comes to Iran, there are a lot of facilities, some have been attacked.
“So we’re debating what … practical modalities can be implemented to facilitate the reboot of the work there,” he commented.
This situation is unfolding amid growing diplomatic tensions. Iran has recently engaged in consultations with the UK, France and Germany in Geneva, a JCPOA provision that will revive threats that pose snapback mechanisms: UN sanctions. The European signatories of the JCPOA declared that they would decide whether to take action by August 31, indicating a growing impatience for Iran. The move comes as a response to a decline in Iranian cooperation with the IAEA due to the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and the failure of European forces to compensate for its damages lawsuit.