UN Nuclear Watchdog Says Not Satisfied With Iran’s Level Of Cooperation

The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has expressed dissatisfaction with Iran's level of cooperation with the nuclear watchdog.

Rafael Grossi made these remarks during a press conference after visiting the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station in Japan on Friday.

"The situation is difficult. Efforts related to the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] have currently stalled, so there is not much progress on that front. Cooperation with Iran is ongoing, but it is not at the level that I would prefer. I have conveyed this to my Iranian counterparts. We have several unresolved issues," Grossi stated.

He further mentioned that he had visited Iran in March, where he agreed on a joint statement and certain necessary steps to resolve existing disagreements. However, the implementation of this agreement has been "exceptionally slow."

"I am making efforts to expedite matters in order to prevent tensions from resurfacing in that part of the world," Grossi emphasized.

In June, Iran announced that it had reinstalled 10 cameras of the UN nuclear watchdog at one of its installations. These cameras had been removed last year when the agency's board of governors censured Iran for its lack of cooperation.

However, an Iranian lawmaker stated last week that reinstalling IAEA monitoring systems at the Esfahan (Isfahan) nuclear site went beyond the Safeguards Agreement and contradicted the "strategic action" law ratified by the parliament in December 2020.

Ali Khezrian was referring to a law, which imposed restrictions on nuclear monitoring by the IAEA. Since its passage, Iran has further limited international monitoring and inspections, adding complexity to the process of renewing the JCPOA.