Iran‘s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be “technical” and “complicated” ahead of the agency’s planned visit. The visit marks the first to Iran since Tehran cut ties with the IAEA last month following a conflict with Israel. Esmaeil Baghaei, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told reporters that a meeting may be organized with Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi during the IAEA’s visit, “but it is a bit soon to predict what the talks will result since these are technical talks, complicated talks.”
The IAEA’s visit comes after President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the country to suspend its cooperation with the nuclear watchdog following the June conflict triggered by Israeli strikes. Pezeshkian had told Ireport in an interview last month that his country is prepared for any future war Israel might wage against it, adding that he was not optimistic about the ceasefire between the countries. He confirmed that Tehran is committed to continuing its nuclear program for peaceful purposes.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that Massimo Aparo, the IAEA’s deputy director general and head of safeguards, had met with an Iranian delegation to discuss “the method of interaction between the agency and Iran.” Gharibabadi added that they decided to continue consultations in the future, without providing further details. The IAEA did not immediately issue a statement about Aparo’s visit, which will not include any planned access to Iranian nuclear sites.
Baghaei criticized the IAEA’s lack of response to the Israeli strikes, saying that “peaceful facilities of a country that was under 24-hour monitoring were the target of strikes, and the agency refrained from showing a wise and rational reaction and did not condemn it as it was required.” Araghchi had previously said that cooperation with the agency would be about redefining how both sides cooperate. The decision to limit inspections will likely further restrict the agency’s ability to track Tehran’s nuclear program.
Iran’s nuclear program has been a point of contention, with the country enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels. US intelligence agencies and the IAEA assessed that Iran last had an organized nuclear weapons program in 2003. Although Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60 percent, this is still some way from the weapons-grade levels of 90 percent. Araghchi said that continuing enrichment is a matter of “national pride” after US and Israeli attacks, but added that Iran is open to talks. The prospect of resumed nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington remains uncertain.