The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it has not heard back from Iran about a deal relating to inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities that expired this week and is calling on Tehran to “immediately respond.”
Earlier this year, Iran stopped voluntarily complying with the Additional Protocol, an aspect of the JCPOA that allowed the IAEA to conduct snap inspections. The IAEA negotiated a temporary monitoring deal with Iran that satisfied the nuclear watchdog.
The monitoring deal came into effect in February. It was a three-month agreement that Iran extended on May 24th for an additional 30 days. Now, the deal expired, and the IAEA says Iran is not responding to its inquiries about the situation.
“Iran had not replied to his letter or indicated whether it intends to maintain the current arrangement,” the IAEA said in a statement. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said an “immediate response was needed from Iran in this regard.”
Considering the US violated the JCPOA in 2018, Iran is under no obligation to continue allowing the IAEA monitoring access consistent with the additional protocol. Tehran likely agreed to the IAEA deal as a show of good faith towards the US in an effort to revive the JCPOA.
The expiration of the monitoring deal comes as hopes for a revival of the JCPOA are dimming. US officials said after the sixth round of indirect talks with Iran that “serious differences” remain. The two sides are failing to reach an agreement due to the Biden administration’s refusal to lift all Trump-era sanctions.
Yeah, and Iran wants immediate relief from sanctions… See how that works IAEA?
It is apparent to me anyway, that the IAEA is now a tool for us. At least in regards to Iran.
Has the IAEA shown that same regard for Israel. Oh wait, Israel has never signed the NPT. Iran has and ratified the same in 1970.
They’re tools alright!
Get in the line…! And cry all you want…not gonna happen
Immediate response? Everyone get back in full compliance with the deal, no conditions. Sound good?
IAEA has become just a tool of the US and Israel used to abuse Iran in bad faith “inspections.”
Iran ought to tell them “No” until a reliable deal with the US has been agreed AND fully implemented by the US.
As long as the US can get away with bad faith abuses, it always does. See the “withdrawal” from Afghanistan that will now leave 1/3 of the US troops to back some NATO troops. Just more of the same lies.
If this means that Iran is backed into the corner of getting nuclear weapons, well that is just the choice made by the US and Israel.
Also, Israel & US have used the inspection to discover the targets for its regular cyber, drone, and assassin attacks.
I don’t “know” anything, but I strongly suspect that if the US changes the terms of The Agreement, they’re going to have to permit Iran to do the same thing. Cutting down on the inspections is one place this could be done. An increase in the enrichment percentages is another possibility.