Monitoring Desk
TEHRAN: Iran will evade fresh censure by the UN nuclear watchdog after making “concrete” commitments at the weekend to be transparent following the discovery of particles enriched to near weapons grade, diplomats said on Monday.
The development comes after the nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi received assurances from Iranian authorities that surveillance cameras at several nuclear installations would be reconnected and inspections would be increased.
On Saturday, the IAEA head returned from a two-day visit to Iran, which sought greater cooperation over Tehran’s atomic activities, after the discovery of uranium particles enriched to the near weapons-grade level.
Three Western countries’ diplomats told AFP on the first day of the Board of Governors meeting of the IAEA that no new resolution criticizing Iran over its nuclear program was planned.
“But it needs to be seen whether anything agreed in Iran results in real progress,” a Western diplomat said.
In November, Iran faced sanctions over its lack of cooperation with the IAEA.
On Monday, Grossi rejected the perception that he had merely managed empty promises from Iranian authorities over the weekend.
These are “empty not promises; we do have certain concrete agreements,” he told reporters in Vienna.
“I have been as frustrated as several other people, perhaps the most frustrated when there is a lack of results,” Grossi added.
Iran agrees to increased nuclear surveillance
He said that both sides seem to be moving into more firm ground, adding that the IAEA would “of course move with caution.”
Grossi hailed “a visible improvement” in his discussions with Iran’s government officials last week.
He said the steps he agreed with Iran should be implemented “very soon” following a technical meeting due to travel to Tehran.
In his series of meetings with Iranian government officials, Grossi met President Ebrahim Raisi.
Iran also indicated it had agreed to more inspections at the Fordo underground plant, where uranium particles enriched to near weapons grade were found.
A confidential IAEA report detailed that uranium particles enriched near 83.7 percent had been detected.
Iran denies intending to acquire atomic weapons and says it has not attempted to enrich uranium beyond 60 percent purity.
In January, Grossi said Iran had “amassed enough nuclear material for various nuclear weapons.”
On-off talks between world powers and Tehran to revive a 2015 landmark agreement that sought to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief had stalled since last year.
Iran’s deal with the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia collapsed after Washington’s unilateral withdrawal in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump.
