Iran calls on IAEA to avoid being swayed

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami made the remarks in a joint press conference with the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi on Saturday in Tehran.

Eslami called for the remaining signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), namely France, Britain, Germany, China, and Russia, to fulfill their obligations.

"Three European and some other countries are just focusing on Iran's JCPOA obligations," he said. "They too have obligations that they need to adhere to."

Eslami said, "We came to an arrangement [with Grossi] to define our cooperation within the framework of the safeguards." 

He called on the UN nuclear agency to fulfill its duties towards Iran within the framework of the Safeguards Agreement and avoid being swayed by those who aim to hinder cooperation between the two sides.

"The recent visit by Mr. Grossi, which started yesterday, is a message to establish communications and relations between Iran and the [International Atomic Energy] Agency. Communications and reports must build trust," Eslami said.

“We must be able to resolve issues in a trustful manner and prevent the entry and penetration of the elements and agents whose purpose is to disrupt a normal and professional relationship,” he added. 

Eslami called on the IAEA to prepare for a sort of interaction, by which the agency "can always maintain its duties toward Iran's nuclear program within the framework of the Safeguards Agreement”.

Pointing to Iran's scientific research and nuclear technology capabilities, Eslami expressed Iran’s readiness to share its nuclear achievements with other countries.

Rafael Grossi, for his part, said, "There are two separate issues in this regard. First, attacks on nuclear power plants have unfortunately become common, and this is due to the war in Ukraine. Second, these attacks have been condemned during the Agency's public conferences. So I think that the attack on nuclear facilities is totally condemned and illegal."

Grossi said he had "constructive discussions" with Iranian officials that could pave the way for the revival of a landmark 2015 agreement to bring the US back to compliance and remove sanctions on the Islamic Republic. 

"By constructive discussions that we are having now, and by good agreements, I'm sure we are going to be paving the way for important agreements," he said.