Advancements in Nuclear Inspections by Iran and the United Nations Nuclear Agency
Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have signed an agreement to resume cooperation, including inspections of Iran's nuclear energy facilities. This development comes after a suspension of cooperation with IAEA inspectors in July, following attacks on key nuclear facilities by Israel and the United States.
The agreement, the result of a meeting in Cairo between Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, mediated by Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, is technical in nature and focuses on the resumption of inspection work under the treaty of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
The IAEA has been negotiating with Iranian officials for weeks to resume inspections, with a focus on more than 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to nearly weapons-grade level. Western countries accuse Iran of seeking an atomic weapon.
Grossi called the deal 'a step in the right direction,' while Araghchi stated that the deal addresses his country's concerns and security challenges, and outlines technical requirements for cooperation with the IAEA.
However, the reimposition of sanctions on Iran by Germany, France, and the United Kingdom is a potential threat to the agreement's implementation. The sanctions are due to Iran's non-compliance with a 2015 agreement aimed at preventing it from developing nuclear weapons.
So far, the only site inspected by the IAEA since the war has been the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which operates with Russian technical assistance. No information is provided about any potential response from Iran regarding the reimposition of sanctions or any other sites that may have been inspected by the IAEA since the agreement was signed.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that the framework deal for resuming inspections of Iran's nuclear energy facilities could mark a crucial step for nuclear diplomacy, provided there is rapid implementation by Iran. Egypt's Foreign Minister Abdelatty emphasized that the deal 'signed today is the beginning of a path that requires commitment from everybody.'
Araghchi warned that if there is any hostile act against Iran, including the reimposition of UN sanctions, Iran would consider the agreement with the IAEA terminated. The IAEA is responsible for drafting the detailed provisions of the agreement providing for the resumption of inspections of Iranian nuclear energy facilities.
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