Amid negotiations for new nuclear deal, IAEA slammed Iran’s lack of cooperation

United States, which has been in indirect talks with Iran for two months over the future of the nuclear deal, said on Monday that he wasn’t sure Tehran really wanted to start over.

“We have had collateral talks, as you know, over the past two months, and it is still unclear whether Iran is willing and ready to do what it needs to do to comply again.” with the commitments of the agreement, said the US Secretary of State, Antoine Blink, before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives.

“We are still testing this proposal”Blinken added.

Former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 sign between the United States and Iran in 2015, claiming that this did not prevent the Islamic republic from building a nuclear weapon.

Trump toughened sanctions on Tehran, Iranian officials responded relax restrictions on its nuclear program imposed by the agreement.

His successor, Joe Biden has said he will join the deal if Iran sticks to its end of the deal.

“It is not yet clear whether (Biden and Blinken) are ready to bury Trump’s failed ‘maximum pressure’ policy (…) and stop using economic #terrorism as a tool to gain an advantage in the negotiations “, he reacted on Twitter the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Javad Zarif, for which “It’s time to change course.

Iran “Complies” with AgreementZarif added, citing article 36 of the pact, which allows one party to resign from its commitments in the event of non-compliance by another party.

Iran views Trump’s unilateral denunciation of the pact from the outset as a “Violation” of the letter and spirit of the Vienna Agreement.

The two sides are negotiating in the Austrian capital to restore the agreement via the other signatories –UK, China, France, Germany and Russia– and discussions are expected to resume later this week.

IAEA chief criticizes Iran for lack of cooperation

In this context, the Director General of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, today criticized Iran for continuing lack of cooperation to clarify origin of fissile fingerprints in four undeclared locations so far at said UN agency.

“The presence of numerous particles of anthropogenic (artificial) origin on three of these sites in Iran not reported to the agency, and the presence of isotopically altered particles in at least one of these locations is a clear indication that contaminated material and / or equipment has been found in these locations, ”Grossi said in a speech to the Agency’s Board of Governors international energy. Atomic (IAEA) in Vienna.

According to the IAEA chief, Iran has so far responded only partially and without providing any documentation to questions posed by the agency’s inspectors.

In recent years, the IAEA has received information from Western intelligence services on undeclared activity in these four locations.

After long negotiations, international inspectors were able to take environmental samples which confirmed the presence of fissile material or contaminated equipment.

Speaking to the press, during a break at the IAEA Board of Governors, Grossi today warned in Vienna that the situation in Iran “is serious”.

“We have a country which has a very ambitious and developed nuclear program, which enriches uranium to a high level, close to that necessary for atomic weapons. We must be aware of this reality “, remarked the general manager.

“I tell Iran I’m worried, you have the right to do it but you have to explain yourself, otherwise we will not be able to restore confidence.Grossi warned.

According to the IAEA, Iran has enriched several kilos of uranium by up to 60%, a level well above civilian use and close to that necessary for the manufacture of atomic bombs (90%).

Guarantee agreement

Within the framework of Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Iran has signed a “safeguards agreement” (controls) with the IAEA, which requires it to keep the agency always informed of its nuclear activities.

“In the absence of any explanation from Iran, I am deeply concerned about the presence of nuclear material in three of the undeclared facilities in Iran. and that the agency does not know where this material is now, ”Grossi warned the board of directors.

“The lack of progress in clarifying the Agency’s questions on Iran’s guarantee statements seriously affect agency’s capacity give guarantees on the nature of the Iranian nuclear program, ”concluded the IAEA Director General.

(With information from AFP and EFE)

KEEP READING: