No IAEA inspectors present in Iran: Foreign Ministry spox
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Iran confirms no IAEA inspectors are currently in the country, as cooperation is suspended pending security guarantees, in line with a parliamentary resolution.
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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, Monday, June 23, 2025 (AP)
Tehran will not hold direct negotiations with the United States, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Monday.
During his weekly press briefing, Baghhaei affirmed that his country is ready to discuss any project, provided that its right to enrich uranium is preserved, indicating in this context that Iran will take appropriate retaliatory measures if the "snapback mechanism" is activated.
No IAEA inspectors in Iran
Meanwhile, speaking about the IAEA's activities in the country, Baghaei maintained that no International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors are currently on the ground in Iran, stating, "Naturally, Iran's cooperation with the agency should be regulated according to the latest resolution of the Parliament, and the government and the foreign ministry consider themselves obligated to regulate their interactions with the agency based on this resolution."
The senior Iranian diplomat stated that Tehran has repeatedly voiced its grievances and criticisms regarding the IAEA's politicized conduct, explaining, "We are still a member of treaties such as the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and Iran, as a responsible country, adheres to the related documents as long as it is in these treaties."
The parliamentary resolution stipulates that IAEA inspectors cannot access Iranian territory unless the security of both the nation's nuclear facilities and its peaceful nuclear programs is ensured, a condition requiring authorization from Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
IAEA, Iran, to hold talks next week
This comes as the IAEA prepares to send a delegation to Tehran to discuss the partnership between Iran and the international nuclear watchdog, which Iran suspended its cooperation with, citing its silence regarding the Israeli aggression on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Well-informed sources told Al Mayadeen that the talks between the delegation and Iran will focus on the political aspect of the relationship between the two, adding that the delegation does not include any inspectors.
Back on July 28, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei announced that Iran was still a party to the safeguards agreements of the IAEA, adding that a new manual is expected to be defined with the UN nuclear watchdog.
Considering the binding legislation approved by the Parliament, Iran is mulling over how to continue cooperation with the agency, Baghaei maintained.
In late June, Iran's Guardian Council ratified the parliamentary resolution to suspend official cooperation with the IAEA. Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated that the country's atomic agency would halt IAEA cooperation until concrete security guarantees are given for nuclear facilities, questioning why the agency hasn't issued even a token condemnation of Israeli attacks on Iran's nuclear sites.
