TEHRAN : The head of the United Nations’ atomic watchdog met Tuesday with Iranian officials to press for greater access in the Islamic Republic ahead of diplomatic talks restarting over Tehran’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers.
Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency again tightrope-style talks with Iranian officials as his inspectors remain unable to access surveillance footage and face greater challenges in trying to monitor Tehran’s rapidly growing uranium stockpile.
While Iran maintains its program is peaceful, regional rival Israel has repeatedly warned it won’t allow Tehran to build a nuclear weapon and is suspected of launching attacks targeting its program as part of a wider regional shadow war playing across the Mideast in recent years. The U.S. under President Joe Biden, meanwhile, has said it’s willing to return to the deal, but has warned time is running out.
Writing on Twitter on Monday, Grossi said he hoped to “address outstanding questions” with Iranian officials.
“I hope to establish a fruitful and cooperative channel of direct dialogue so the (IAEA) can resume essential verification activities in the country,” Grossi wrote.
On Tuesday, Grossi went to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the country’s civilian nuclear agency. He spoke with Mohammad Eslami, the new head of the organization.
Meanwhile in Israel, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett described Iran’s nuclear program as being in a “very advanced stage,” without providing details. Ahead of the resumption of nuclear talks between global powers and Iran, Bennett said he expects “disagreement with our greatest of friends.”
“Either way, even with the return to an agreement, Israel is of course not part of the agreement. Israel is not bound by it,” he told a security conference in Herzliya. “We will maintain our freedom to act.”
APN
