Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei announced that his country will go on with talks with the UN nuclear watchdog, according to Reuters.
Baghaei noted that Iran will probably have another round of negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the coming days.
“We had talks (with the IAEA) last week. These talks will continue and there will be another round of talks between Iran and the agency probably in the coming days,” he added.
Tehran has accused the agency of effectively laying the groundwork for Israel-US attacks that began on June 13, following a May 31 report that prompted the IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors to declare Iran in violation of its non-proliferation obligations.
Last week, Iran announced that the Deputy Head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog would visit Tehran in an attempt to revive the bilateral relations that witnessed souring tensions since Israel’s attacks on Iranian nuclear sites.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi noted that the agency will not have any access to inspect Iran’s nuclear facilities during the visit.
Iran & IAEA Relations
Iranian relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have deteriorated since the United States and Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities in June in order to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program.
In June, the Iranian Guardian Council approved a law suspending Tehran’s cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, Arab News reported.
According to the new law, the IAEA should have approval by the Supreme National Security Council for any future inspection of Iran’s nuclear sites.
“For us, IAEA inspectors approaching nuclear sites has both a security aspect … and the safety of the inspectors themselves is a matter that must be examined,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said.
He also told Tehran-based diplomats that Iran’s cooperation with the nuclear watchdog has not stopped. However, it will take a new form and will be guided and managed through the Supreme National Security Council.
This legislative move came as a response to a series of escalations that began on June 13, when Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Iran under the name of Operation Rising Lion. The military campaign targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities and killed top military commanders and nuclear scientists. Consequently, the US launched several airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
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