Iran shows greater willingness to re-engage on nuclear file : IAEA

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday he had sensed a greater willingness by Iranian officials to engage with the agency in a more meaningful way after talks held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

In a statement following talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Grossi said “What I see is an expressed willingness to re-engage with us in a more meaningful fashion.”

Grossi said that he wanted to make real progress in restoring proper technical discussions with Iran quickly and was aiming to travel to Tehran in October to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

“Of course now we have to give content and substance to this because we are not starting from zero. We have had relatively protracted process without replies to some of the questions we have,” he said.

Several long-standing issues have soured relations between Iran and the IAEA , including Tehran’s barring of IAEA’s uranium-enrichment experts on the inspection team.

Addressing the General Debate at the UN General Assembly’s 79th session, the Iranian President recalled the 2015 nuclear deal, saying that Iran, under the Joint Comprehensive Programme of Action (JCPOA), had agreed to the highest level of nuclear oversight in return for the recognition of its rights and the lifting of sanctions. He stressed that these sanctions targeted innocent people and weakened the Iranian economy.

“We have the opportunity to transcend limitations and enter a new era, commencing with the acknowledgment of Iran’s security concerns and cooperation on mutual challenges,” he added.