Iran has strained relations with the IAEA, which monitors its nuclear program.
The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, visited two key Iranian uranium enrichment facilities near the city of Natanz and Fordó on Friday. This was reported by the Iranian state media without further details, reports TASR with reference to the Reuters agency.
Grossi and the IAEA delegation arrived in Tehran on Wednesday evening. On Thursday, he met individually with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami and President Massoud Pezeshkiyan. At the uranium enrichment facilities in Natanz and Fordó, he wanted to get a picture of the development of Iran’s nuclear program.
After speaking with Grossi, Arákčí wrote in a post on the X network that “the ball is now in the court of the EU/E3”, referring to the three European countries – France, Britain and Germany – that, along with the US, are negotiating with Tehran over its nuclear program .
“We are willing to negotiate on the basis of our national interests and our inalienable rights, but we are not ready to negotiate under pressure and intimidation,” Arákčí said.
France, Britain and Germany await the results
A spokesman for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs told reporters that the three European countries mentioned will wait for the results of Grossi’s visit and then decide how to react. According to him, Iran must fully implement its international obligations and cooperate with the IAEA.
Iran has long had strained relations with the IAEA, which monitors its nuclear program. Western countries suspect Tehran that the intention of this program is to eventually develop a nuclear weapon. Iran says it is a purely peaceful project.
In 2015, Iran signed a nuclear deal with the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China. In it, he pledged to limit uranium enrichment and allow the supervision of UN inspectors in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. However, in 2018, by the decision of then-President Donald Trump, the US unilaterally withdrew from the agreement, saying that it should be replaced by a stricter treaty. However, it was not possible to achieve this and Tehran stopped following the original agreement after some time. Trump did not specify whether he will renew his policy of “maximum pressure” on Tehran after taking office again.
