IAEA Inspectors Return to Iran Amid Renewed Tensions
The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog has confirmed that a team of inspectors is “back in Iran,” marking their first return since Israeli and US strikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities earlier this year, reports 24brussels.
Iran had previously suspended its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following a 12-day conflict with Israel in June. Tehran criticized the IAEA for not condemning the strikes that impacted its nuclear program.
“Now the first team of IAEA inspectors is back in Iran, and we are about to restart,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated in an interview with Fox News. He added, “When it comes to Iran, as you know, there are many facilities. Some were attacked, some were not,” indicating the complexity of the situation.
The announcement coincided with ongoing discussions between Iran and European powers – Britain, France, and Germany – in Geneva. Tehran is striving to prevent the European nations from reinstating sanctions, which they threaten to implement due to Iran’s non-compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi remarked that it is “high time” for the European trio “to make the right choice and give diplomacy time and space.” The three countries have warned they may enable the “snapback mechanism” of the nuclear deal by the end of August if Iran fails to adhere to its terms.
This ongoing dialogue marks the second round of negotiations with European diplomats since the June conflict, which disrupted nuclear talks with the United States. The war has strained Iran’s relationship with the IAEA, with Tehran partially attributing the assaults on its facilities to the UN agency’s stance.
Israel asserts that the strikes were necessary to hinder Iran’s development of nuclear weapons, a claim Iran has consistently denied. The initial 2015 nuclear agreement faced significant setbacks when then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
