Iran Appeals to IAEA Leader for Preservation of Agency's Neutrality
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Tehran, Dec 18 (NationPress) The head of Iran's nuclear program, Mohammad Eslami, on Wednesday urged Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to uphold the agency's neutrality, as noted by the semi-official Fars news agency.
These statements were made during a cabinet meeting in Tehran, in response to Grossi's recent remarks regarding Iran's uranium enrichment nearing military grade and its swift progression towards potentially becoming a nuclear-armed state.
Eslami stated, "It is unacceptable for an international body to focus exclusively on one facet of the situation in a provocative manner while neglecting the significant aspect, which is the failure of other parties to the 2015 nuclear agreement to meet their commitments."
He further underscored the necessity for the agency to retain its impartial stance and conduct its operations with professionalism, remarking, "We anticipate that the agency's director general, a seasoned diplomat, will take these matters into account."
In an interview with the Italian news agency ANSA in Rome on Monday, Grossi expressed skepticism about the potential to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and major world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), asserting that the deal was "no longer beneficial."
He emphasized that, considering Iran's "new realities," it would be necessary to negotiate a new agreement, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
In response to Grossi's comments, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, urged the IAEA chief to base his statements on the factual and technical assessments from the agency's inspectors.
Gharibabadi reiterated that Iran's nuclear advancements align with its technical requirements and are conducted entirely under the IAEA's safeguards monitoring, asserting that Iran's enrichment activities do not possess any military objectives.
In 2015, Iran entered into the JCPOA with world powers, agreeing to limit its nuclear endeavors in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. However, after the United States' withdrawal in 2018 and the reimposition of sanctions, Iran began to reduce its commitments. Negotiations to restore the agreement, ongoing since 2021, have yet to yield results.
