IAEA to restart talks with Iran, no access to nuclear sites planned

A senior official from the U.N. nuclear watchdog will arrive in Iran for talks on Monday, but no visit to nuclear sites is planned, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday

Iran’s Foreign Minister said that upcoming negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will focus on establishing a new framework for cooperation. The Agency’s Deputy Director General is scheduled to visit Tehran today (11 August).

“There are no plans for open inspections. We have not yet reached an agreement on the new framework, and cooperation will not begin until such an agreement is in place. This new framework will be firmly based on the law passed by the esteemed Iranian Parliament,” he added. 

Araghchi added that discussions will focus only on bilateral cooperation about the Islamic Republic’s peaceful nuclear programme.

In early July, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian formally signed a law requiring the government to suspend cooperation with the IAEA.

A cooperation with the Agency from now on must be done through the Supreme National Security Council and with its approval according to Iranian state media quoting Araghchi. 

Since Israel's initial strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities during the 12-day war in June, inspectors from the IAEA have been denied access to the sites—despite IAEA chief Rafael Grossi emphasizing that resuming inspections is his top priority.

Iran has accused the agency of effectively paving the way for the bombings by issuing a damning report on 31 May, which led the IAEA's 35-nation Board of Governors to declare Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.

Iran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons, said it remained committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
 

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