TEHRAN/VIENNA (dpa-AFX) – According to Western diplomats and the Iranian media, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, wants to travel to Tehran on Saturday for high-level talks. In view of the increasing enrichment of uranium, Grossi will negotiate more intensive IAEA inspections in nuclear plants, diplomatic sources said on Wednesday. In addition, unresolved questions about alleged past nuclear projects should be discussed. A spokesman for the authority did not comment on Grossi’s travel plans.
Western countries, above all Israel and the USA, have wanted for years to prevent Iran from developing and building nuclear weapons.
However, at the end of last year Iran began enriching uranium to a purity of 60 percent in an underground facility in Fordow. Previously such material, which according to Grossi is almost suitable for nuclear weapons, was only produced in Natanz. On Tuesday, Grossi presented a report that a very small amount of trace 84 percent uranium was also produced at Fordo. The IAEA wants to clarify whether Tehran wanted this or whether it was an unintentional outlier. An enrichment level of 90 percent is required for nuclear weapons.
According to Iranian media, Grossi is scheduled to hold talks with Iran’s Vice President and nuclear chief Mohammed Eslami in Tehran on Saturday. Western diplomats, on the other hand, assume that the IAEA chief wants to meet Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi.
In Vienna in 2015, Iran committed to restricting its nuclear program. In return, Western sanctions were lifted. The pact was intended to prevent the country from developing nuclear weapons. After the USA in 2018 under the then President donald trump pulled out of the deal, Tehran reversed the restrictions. Negotiations to save the agreement are on hold. “Why should Iran adhere to the Vienna nuclear agreement if the other parties do not?” said nuclear chief Eslami on Wednesday./al/DP/jha