IAEA chief visits Iran for talks on its nuclear programme

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi visited Iran's Natanz nuclear plant and its Fordow site.

United Nation's Nuclear watchdog visited two nuclear sites in Iran Friday morning. The International Atomic Energy Agency's Head, Rafael Grossi went to the Fordow site some 100 kilometres south of Tehran and Natanz nuclear plant aimed at resolving disputes on nuclear talks.

Their last report in June said it had lost continuity of knowledge to key parts of the Iranian nuclear programme due to being unable to perform verification and monitoring activities for more than three and a half years.

Speaking earlier to Iranian officials, Grossi made an effort to restore his inspectors' access.

Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi told the chief of the IAEA that the country is willing to resolve outstanding disputes but won't succumb to pressure.

Following the discussions, Araqchi said that the ball is in the European Union/E3 court, referring to France, Britain, and Germany.

The three countries along with the United States represent the West in the nuclear talks with Iran.

"Willing to negotiate based on our national interest and inalienable rights, but not ready to negotiate under pressure and intimidation," Iranian state media quoted Araqchi as saying. "I hope the other side will adopt a rational policy."

Grossi's trip comes a week before the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors meet in Vienna with the European 3 to consider whether to raise pressure on Iran given its lack of cooperation.

The Head of IAEA also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for the first time since Pezeshkian was elected in July. The president told Grossi that Tehran was prepared to cooperate with the IAEA to clear up "alleged ambiguities" about Tehran's nuclear work, state media reported.

After a meeting with Iran's nuclear chief, in a televised joint press conference, Grossi urged Tehran to take steps to resolve the remaining issues.

"It is in our power here to take concrete steps that will indicate clearly, to the U.S. and the international community, that we can clarify things and move forward with concrete solutions," Grossi said.

President-Elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January upends the nuclear diplomacy, which had already stalled under the outgoing administration of Joe Biden.

During Trump’s last term, Washington unilaterally withdrew from the deal struck in 2015 between Iran and six world powers that limited Tehran’s nuclear work in exchange for relief from sanctions.

Since then, Tehran abandoned all limits on its program, and enriches uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the 90% required for an atomic bomb. 

Iran has long denied any nuclear-bomb ambitions, saying it is enriching uranium for civilian energy use only.

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