UN nuclear watchdog back in Iran, no deal yet on inspections
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As at Aug 26, the agency was still discussing how to resume inspections.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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DUBAI - UN nuclear inspectors have returned to Iran for the first time since it suspended cooperation with them in the wake of Israel’s attacks on its nuclear sites
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told lawmakers Tehran had still not reached an agreement on how it would resume full work with the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) watchdog, Parliament news agency Icana reported.
But he said the inspectors would supervise the changing of fuel at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, according to the report.
Mr Araqchi’s comments come a day after Iran met France, Britain and Germany to try to revive negotiations over its nuclear programme, which Western powers say is aimed at developing a bomb, but Iran says is focused on civilian projects.
Iran has said it needs a new cooperation agreement with the IAEA after the 12-day air war in June with Israel that was shortly joined by the US.
The Iranian Parliament passed legislation in June suspending cooperation with the IAEA
That council had approved the visit by the inspectors, but “no draft for a new cooperation modality with the IAEA has been finalised or approved”, Mr Araqchi said, according to ICANA.
“The changing of the fuel of Bushehr nuclear reactor has to be done under the supervision of inspectors of the international agency,” he added.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told Fox News on Aug 26 that “the first team of IAEA inspectors is back in Iran”, but that the agency was still discussing how to resume inspections.
After the June attacks, Iran said the sites were no longer safe for inspectors. REUTERS
