IAEA strikes deal with Iran on monitoring of nuclear programme  

The woody was struck during a sojourn to Tehran by the caput of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi. 

During “constructive” talks with Vice-President of the Iranian atomic vigor association, Mohammad Eslami, it was agreed that caller representation cards would beryllium installed into cameras monitoring the country’s atomic programme, the IAEA said successful a joint statement. 

It has besides been agreed the cameras tin beryllium serviced. No further details were fixed isolated from that the 2 sides had reached an statement connected however this was to beryllium done. 

Whilst a motion of “cooperation and communal trust,” betwixt the parties, the connection said the existing cards showing Iranian enactment astatine its main atomic sites volition beryllium sealed and kept successful Iran. 

Formal censure 

The statement could avert the ceremonial censure of Iran by the IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors astatine a gathering successful Vienna this week, for failing to co-operate with an probe into traces of uranium recovered astatine undeclared atomic sites. 

The solution risked ending the imaginable of reviving talks betwixt Iran and the United States connected reviving the 2015 Iran atomic deal. 

In 2018, President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the deal, known formally arsenic the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action” (JCPOA), which sets retired rules for monitoring Iran’s atomic programme and paves the mode for the lifting of UN sanctions. 

In July 2019, Iran reportedly breached its uranium stockpile bounds and announced its volition to continue enriching uranium, posing a much superior proliferation risk. On 15 February, Iran announced that it would halt implementing “voluntary transparency measures” successful the Iran atomic deal, on with different arrangements successful Iran’s Safeguards Agreement. 

Compliance issues 

On Monday, during the opening of the IAEA Board of Governors gathering successful Geneva, Mr. Grossi recalled that up to 23 February 2021, the agency had verified and monitored the implementation by Iran of its nuclear-related commitments nether the JCPOA. 

However, since that date, these activities person been earnestly undermined arsenic a effect of Iran’s determination to halt the implementation of its nuclear-related commitments, including the Additional Protocol. 

“The Agency’s assurance that it could support continuity of cognition had been declining implicit clip and had precocious importantly further declined. This assurance could proceed to diminution unless the concern were instantly rectified by Iran,” helium said.  

He said that, contempt the advancements, he remains “deeply acrophobic that atomic worldly has been contiguous astatine undeclared locations successful Iran and that the existent locations of this atomic worldly are not known to the Agency.” 

Talks ongoing 

Mr. Eslami said Iran “will proceed talks connected the sidelines” of the IAEA gathering successful Vienna this week and added that Mr. Grossi would sojourn Tehran again “in the adjacent future” to sermon method issues connected changing the representation cards of the surveillance cameras.  

“What matters to america is gathering spot and having communal trust,” helium added. On his instrumentality to Vienna, Mr. Grossi said portion the statement was a “stopgap” it would beryllium implemented successful a fewer days due to the fact that the IAEA was “getting to the constituent wherever we needed contiguous rectification”. 

He added: "We managed to rectify the astir urgent issue - the imminent nonaccomplishment of cognition we were confronted with until yesterday. Now we person a solution." 

The IAEA chief said determination would beryllium further meetings astatine higher levels: “Nothing volition be sidelined and thing hidden,” helium said, successful notation to different long-standing issues, including unexplained atomic particles recovered successful immoderate sites. 

The contented of DPR Korea 

Meanwhile, the Agency continues to monitor the Democratic Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) nuclear programme, utilizing opensource accusation including outer imagery. 

On Monday, according to quality reports, DPRK, much commonly known arsenic North Korea, announced that it had successfully launched caller long-range cruise missiles, which represents its archetypal rocket trial successful astir six months. Cruise missiles are not banned, according to UN Security Council resolutions, which prohibit the investigating oregon improvement specifically of ballistic missiles.  

For Mr. Grossi, the countries’ nuclear activities “continue to beryllium a origin for superior concern.” 

He pointed to new indications of the cognition of the 5MW(e) reactor and the Radiochemical Laboratory calling them “deeply troubling.” For him, the continuation of programme “is a wide usurpation of applicable UN Security Council resolutions and is profoundly regrettable.” 

He asked the state to comply afloat with its obligations nether applicable UN Security Council resolutions and assured that the Agency continues ready to play and “essential” role successful verifying the nuclear programme.