IAEA chief arrives in Iran ahead of sanctions deadline
February 21, 2021
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, arrived in Tehran on Saturday, ahead of Iran's plan to partly suspend the agency's inspections of the country's nuclear facilities.
Grossi was received in Tehran by Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Kazem Gharibabadi, and Iran Atomic Energy Organization official Behrouz Kamalvandi, Gharibabadi tweeted Saturday evening. He will meet Iranian nuclear officials including Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the country's nuclear department, and a vice-president to President Hassan Rouhani.
Grossi tweeted on Friday that he would try "to find a mutually agreeable solution, compatible with Iranian law," adding that it was in everybody's interest.
The IAEA chief's visit is due to run into Sunday.
Iran to partly suspend inspections
Iran's parliament in December approved a bill that would suspend part of UN inspections of its nuclear facilities under a 2015 nuclear deal, if European signatories to the deal do not provide relief from oil and banking sanctions by February 23. It will also stop implementation of the additional protocol that allows the IAEA inspectors to carry out more intrusive inspections to Iran's nuclear facilities.
As Iran implements the law and "the other side has not yet fulfilled its obligations to lift the sanctions, inspections beyond safeguard measures will be suspended," the head of Iran's atomic body, Ali Akbar Salehi told state TV. He also added that bilateral review and cooperation would be discussed in the upcoming meeting with Grossi.
US policy towards Iran
Grossi's visit comes against the backdrop of US President Joe Biden's call for European poweres to come together and curb Iran's "destabilizing" activities. Biden made a commitment to rejoin talks on Iran's nuclear program, after his predecessor Donald Trump withdrew the US from the nuclear deal in 2018.
In response to the US withdrawal and sanctions, Iran suspended its compliance with most key nuclear commitments.
Tehran, however, has repeatedly said it is ready to return to its nuclear commitments on the condition that Washington does so first by lifting the sanctions reimposed by Trump that have dealt a heavy blow to Iran's economy.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran would immediately reverse retaliatory measures if the US lifts "all sanctions imposed, re-imposed or re-labelled by Trump".
Biden told the Munich Security Conference that the United States would work closely with allies in dealing with Iran after his predecessor Trump took an aggressive unilateral approach.
"The threat of nuclear proliferation also continues to require careful diplomacy and cooperation among us. That's why we have said we're prepared to reengage in negotiations with the P5+1 on Iran's nuclear program," he said.
tg/sri (dpa, AFP, AP)