VIENNA: The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressed his concern on Monday about the declining international interest in holding Iran accountable for its advancing nuclear program. This apprehension follows a recent easing of tensions between Iran and the United States, which announced a prisoner swap last month.
Last week, confidential reports from the IAEA revealed that Iran had made “no progress” on several outstanding nuclear issues, including the reinstallation of IAEA monitoring cameras that Tehran had removed from its nuclear sites and explaining the presence of uranium particles found in Iran.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi remarked on Monday that he had noticed a “decrease in interest” from IAEA member states, although he did not specify which states were involved. He expressed his concern about the routine handling of Iran-related issues, emphasizing that the issues at hand remain as valid today as they were before.
Diplomatic sources have indicated that the United States and the E3 group (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom) do not plan to censure Iran for its lack of cooperation with the IAEA during this week’s IAEA Board of Governors’ meeting. Instead, they intend to submit a joint declaration to the meeting, which is expected to garner broad support, according to a source.
US-Iran Prisoner Exchange Agreement
In recent developments, Iran announced last month that it had reached a prisoner exchange agreement with the United States, encompassing the release of five US citizens held in Tehran and several Iranians detained in the US.
Grossi clarified that while he was aware of the bilateral process between Iran and the US, it was unclear what was being discussed regarding the nuclear aspect. He emphasized the importance of continuing to support the IAEA’s work despite other pressing issues on the international agenda.
In 2015, major world powers entered into a deal with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), under which Tehran agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling economic sanctions. However, the JCPOA began to unravel in 2018 when then-US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement and reimposed sanctions. In response, Iran escalated its nuclear program.
