Iran committed to giving IAEA any needed info: Naziri - Exclusive

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen Net
7 Mar 2023 23:17

Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations says the visit of the IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi to Tehran was very important.

Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations, Mohsen Naziri

Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations, Mohsen Naziri, confirmed on Tuesday that Iran is committed to providing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with any information it needs within legally binding frameworks.

In an exclusive interview for Al Mayadeen, Naziri said the visit of the IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi was very important, as it laid down working methods for the coming weeks and months.

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Mohsen Naziri to #AlMayadeen: #Iran is committed to providing the International Atomic Energy Agency (#IAEA) with any information it needs within legally binding frameworks. pic.twitter.com/WTLq3HAvFJ
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 7, 2023

Grossi arrived in Iran on Friday amid a stalemate in talks to resurrect a landmark 2015 agreement on Iran's nuclear activities, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The Iranian official pointed out that the IAEA report shows that Iran's uranium enrichment rate is 60%, stressing that Iran reserves the right to respond to any negative measures taken against it.

It is noteworthy that the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, reiterated on Saturday that Iran has not had any enrichment above 60%.

Speaking during a joint press conference in Tehran with the IAEA chief, Eslami made clear that Grossi’s report is about tracing 84% purity particles, not 84% enrichment, adding that there was no enrichment beyond 60% in the reservoirs where the production is kept.

Last month, AEOI spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi, pointed out that the presence of uranium particles with purity levels exceeding 60% does not mean that uranium is being enriched at levels above 60%.

On Monday, Al Mayadeen correspondent to Vienna reported that the IAEA Director-General presented his report on his visit to Iran and meeting with its officials before the Board of Governors.

In his report, Grossi said Iran has agreed, after discussions, "to allow the agency to proceed with further monitoring and verification measures indispensable to the Agency fulfilling its mission."

He described Iran's decision to allow the IAEA to proceed with inspections as "very important", as "it would allow the agency to begin to establish a new baseline necessary in the event of a resumption of Iran’s implementation of its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA."

Grossi said the implementation of the understanding between Iran and the IAEA may lead to the resumption of nuclear talks.