VIENNA – UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi says he has negotiated a “temporary solution” after two days of talks with Iranian officials to allow the agency to continue its inspections in the country, and allow breathing space for diplomatic negotiations on Iranian nuclear capabilities.
However, he admitted that even under the new three-month arrangement, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would not have the same level of access once a law limiting some inspections comes into force tomorrow.
Grossi’s visit to Iran came amid stepped-up efforts between US President Joe Biden’s administration, European powers and Iran to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal that has been on the brink of collapse since Donald Trump withdrew from it and went on to impose sanctions on Iran.
Iran’s conservative-dominated parliament passed the law in December demanding the country suspend some inspections if the US failed to lift sanctions by the end of the weekend.
Iran had notified the UN body that if the sanctions were not lifted it would suspend “voluntary transparency measures” – notably inspection visits to non-nuclear sites, including military sites suspected of nuclear-related activity.
Grossi said that under the new “temporary technical understanding... there is less access, let’s face it”.
“But still we were able to retain the necessary degree of monitoring and verification work,” he added.
“What we agreed is something that is viable – it is useful to bridge this gap that we are having now, it salvages the situation now,” Grossi told reporters after landing back in Vienna. – AFP, February 22, 2021
