The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has begun rebuilding its surveillance cameras in Iran. “Work is underway,” IAEA spokesman Fredrik Dahl said in Vienna, without giving further details.
In June last year, Tehran ordered the dismantling of parts of the equipment used to monitor its nuclear facilities. This happened after the then US president Donald Trump unilaterally decided in 2018 to withdraw the US from the nuclear deal of 2015, which was supposed to prevent Tehran from manufacturing a nuclear bomb.
The withdrawal of the US put the agreement in jeopardy. Trump then also reintroduced sanctions against Iran. In response, Tehran has gradually withdrawn from its commitments.
Last March, however, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi managed to negotiate concessions for Tehran’s nuclear program oversight. Iran’s installation of the equipment is likely to create a positive atmosphere for the IAEA’s next board of governors in early June, diplomats say.
However, the cameras do not automatically provide the IAEA with a better insight. Because although recordings were made before the cameras were dismantled, the international nuclear inspectors had no access to the data. Tehran did not want to grant access until the dispute over the nuclear deal was settled. However, negotiations on the agreement have been stalled for months.
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