Iran has ruled out the U.S.-EU demand for a halt in its civilian nuclear program as an “impossible” pre-condition to restart nuclear negotiations.
The oil rich nation also called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to be “independent and professional” in the performance of its duties
Spokesman of Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi said that it is not impossible to resume cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog but added it is a “complicated technical” issue.
“It requires new protocols on inspection of the nuclear sites bombed by Israel and US last June,” he said in an interview with ISNA news agency regarding Iran’s condition for renewed monitoring of its sites after they were suspended by the country’s parliamentary legislation.
“Iran’s relations with the IAEA changed after our nuclear facilities under UN safeguards were attacked last June while we were committed to our international obligations.” Kamalvandi said.
Any inspection of Iran’s nuclear sites must carefully balance transparency with national security concerns.” He added.
According to the spokesman, Iran maintained communication with the IAEA during the war by sending multiple reports detailing the attacks on its nuclear sites, but it was the agency which failed to condemn the attacks, effectively serving as a green light for the invasion.
Kamalvandi also said Iran is ready to engage with the western countries if they have “legitimate concerns” but ruled out “zero enrichment” as an impractical demand to restart the negotiations.
Earlier last week, he stressed that the safeguards agreement is unfit for wartime and said, “IAEA’s current safeguards agreement requires legal revision because it is inadequate in light of the circumstances following the 12‑day war”.
Kamalvandi criticised IAEA’s “political and untechnical” approach, arguing the agency has complicated prospects of cooperation and also underscored the need for mechanisms to prevent misuse of sensitive information.
“Iran’s nuclear file has, from its inception, been shaped more by political pressures than by technical assessments, creating persistent challenges for both Iran and international monitoring bodies,” he told IRNA news agency.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also urged IAEA and its chief Rafael Grossi to act “independently” and avoid being motivated by political interests of western countries in dealing with Iran’s nuclear program.
He made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Russia Today TV program Worlds Apart, during his visit to Moscow last week which was aired on Sunday.
When asked about Tehran’s relations with IAEA in the wake of the US-Israel air raids on Iran’s civilian nuclear facilities under UN safeguards, he said Iran is committed to its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
However, Araghchi was quick to add that the UN nuclear watchdog does not have any procedure on inspection of the safeguarded bombed sites.
“We are ready for a fair and balanced (nuclear) deal but will not accept diktats,” he added referring to U.S. and EU pre-conditions.
Araghchi also said that it had been months since he was last in contact with the U.S. Middle East envoy and nuclear negotiator Steve Witkoff because Iran concluded that Washington is “not prepared for a fair deal”.
The minister also said he held five rounds of mediated nuclear talks with Witkoff since April and they were ready to hold the sixth round in mid-June when Israel and the Trump-led administration bombed Iran’s nuclear sites.
Responding to a question about likely new attacks by U.S. and Israel, Araghchi said while Iran “does not welcome a war, it is totally prepared for it”.
“The best thing to do to prevent a war is to be prepared for it, he said, “It is why we have strengthened our defensive might following the war”.
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The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Afghanistan and Belarus have agreed to advance joint industrial projects, investment and technical cooperation following talks in Minsk, as Kabul seeks Belarusian machinery and support to develop domestic manufacturing.
Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are drawing up a new programme aimed at boosting bilateral trade to $1 billion by 2030, as the two countries move to deepen economic and industrial ties.
Syria says it assured Israel that Türkiye had no plans to establish a military presence at the Abu al-Duhur airbase before Israeli forces struck the site on Tuesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued his strongest warning yet over Türkiye's growing military role in Syria, saying Israel will not accept Turkish forces expanding their presence further south.
Azerbaijan’s support for Ukraine could provide a model for neighbouring countries seeking to strengthen their sovereignty, the director of development at an organisation supporting Ukraine’s armed forces has told AnewZ.
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