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VIENNA, Austria (AFP) — The United Nations nuclear watchdog mentioned Wednesday there had been “no progress” in talks with Tehran on disputes over the monitoring of Iran’s atomic program, simply days earlier than talks restart on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Rafael Grossi, director-general of the Worldwide Atomic Power Company (IAEA), advised a quarterly assembly of the company’s board that talks he held in Tehran on Tuesday had been “inconclusive,” regardless of being “constructive.”
Grossi had sought to deal with constraints placed on IAEA inspections earlier this yr, excellent questions over the presence of undeclared nuclear materials at websites in Iran, and the therapy of IAEA workers within the nation.
“When it comes to the substance… we weren’t capable of make progress,” Grossi advised reporters, saying that the shortage of settlement had come “regardless of my finest efforts.”
Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman for the Atomic Power Group of Iran, advised Iranian tv his group “tried till the final second” however there may be nonetheless work to be carried out.
Amongst different officers in Tehran, Grossi met Iranian Overseas Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Amir-Abdollahian put a constructive gloss on the talks, telling the official IRNA company on Wednesday {that a} “frequent declaration” had been reached which might be printed “as quickly as doable.”
‘Foot-dragging’
Grossi’s go to got here forward of the scheduled resumption on Monday of negotiations between Tehran and world powers geared toward reviving the 2015 deal that gave Iran sanctions aid in return for curbs on its nuclear program.
The US mentioned it was “disillusioned” by the end result of Grossi’s go to and mentioned it was prepared to barter in Vienna.
“However in fact Iran’s failure to cooperate is a nasty signal about their seriousness in a profitable conclusion to our negotiations,” a US State Division spokesperson mentioned.
The remaining members of the accord — France, Germany, the UK, China, Russia and Iran — will attend with the US collaborating not directly.
The deal has been step by step disintegrating since former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018.
The next yr, Iran retaliated by beginning to transfer away from its commitments beneath the deal, also referred to as the JCPOA.
The US negotiator for the JCPOA talks, Rob Malley, warned that Washington wouldn’t “sit idly” if Iran delayed progress on the talks.
“If [Iran] continues to do what it seems to be doing now, which is to pull its toes on the nuclear diplomatic desk and speed up its tempo with regards to its nuclear program… we’ll have to reply accordingly,” Malley advised US broadcaster NPR.
On the IAEA Board of Governors’ assembly, the EU issued a joint assertion saying it was “deeply involved on the inconclusive consequence of the discussions” with Grossi.
Russia’s consultant in the meantime mentioned it supported Grossi’s “intent to proceed working with the Iranian aspect and name for Tehran to do the identical.”
‘Excessively invasive’
One of many steps away from the deal got here earlier this yr when Iran started limiting some IAEA inspections exercise.
Iran and the company at present have a brief settlement that provides the IAEA entry to monitoring tools at Iran’s nuclear services.
Nonetheless, the company has warned that the settlement will not be a sturdy answer and Grossi mentioned he was “near… the purpose the place I’d not be capable of assure continuity of data” of Iran’s nuclear program if it continued.
Grossi additionally mentioned he had raised issues whereas in Tehran about safety checks on IAEA inspectors which the company has described as “excessively invasive.”
He famous that the IAEA and Iran had a authorized settlement “which is meant to guard inspectors from intimidation, from seizure of their property.”
“Our Iranian colleagues have instituted numerous measures that are merely incompatible” with this, he mentioned.
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