Vienna, Austria:
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi stated Sunday he had negotiated a “temporary solution” right after two days of talks with Iranian officials to let the agency to continue its inspections work in the nation and let breathing space for diplomatic negotiations on the Iranian nuclear situation.
However, he admitted that even below the new 3-month arrangement, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would not have the identical level of access as soon as a law comes into force on Tuesday limiting some inspections.
Grossi’s take a look at to Iran came amid stepped-up efforts in 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 considering the fact that 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 nation suspend some inspections if the US failed to lift sanctions by this Sunday.
Iran had notified the UN body that if the sanctions weren’t lifted it would suspend “voluntary transparency measures” — notably inspection visits to non-nuclear web pages, like military web pages suspected of nuclear-connected activity.
Grossi stated that below 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 right after landing back in Vienna.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, ahead of meeting Grossi, signalled that the Islamic republic wanted to steer clear of an “impasse” more than inspections, but also warned it could step additional away from its commitments if Washington does not lift the sanctions.
– ‘Remedial measures’ –
Grossi stated his hope in going to Tehran was “to stabilise a situation which was very unstable”.
“I think this technical understanding does it so that other political discussions at other levels can take place, and most importantly we can avoid a situation in which we would have been, in practical terms, flying blind,” he added.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi stated late Saturday the “IAEA’s inspection capability will be reduced by about 20-30 percent after the implementation of the parliament’s law”.
Grossi declined to give his personal estimate of how a great deal the IAEA’s inspection capability would be lowered but stated that the quantity of inspectors in the nation would not be lowered and that the agency would nonetheless be capable to carry out snap inspections.
“We are not violating the JCPOA, we are implementing remedial measures foreseen in the JCPOA itself,” Zarif insisted, referring to the nuclear deal, identified as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
“Once everybody implements their part and their obligations, then there will be talks, and those talks will not be about changing or adding to the agreement.”
– ‘Still in partial phase’ –
Biden has committed to rejoin talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme, in a shift away from Trump’s policy of “maximum pressure” towards the Islamic republic.
Tehran has repeatedly stated it is prepared to return to its nuclear commitments, on the situation Washington tends to make the initially move by lifting the sanctions that have heaped financial discomfort on Iran.
Zarif stated that, from Iran’s point of view, “nothing has changed”, as the Biden administration had so far followed the identical Iran policy as his predecessor.
Iran’s best diplomat warned that if US sanctions are not lifted, Iran will continue scaling back its commitments below the deal it agreed in 2015 with the 5 UN Security Council permanent members and Germany.
The stockpile of “enriched uranium will increase”, he stated, stressing that Tehran has the proper inside the deal to quit observing commitments “totally or partially” if the other parties fail to honour theirs.
“We are still in the partial phase,” Zarif stated. “We can be total.”
The European Union’s political director, Enrique Mora, on Thursday proposed through Twitter an “informal meeting” involving Iran — and Washington accepted in principle.
Araghchi stated Saturday that “we are reviewing (this) proposal” and Iran was discussing the situation with “friends and allies such as China and Russia”.
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