The United Nations nuclear watchdog chief warned Thursday that time for diplomacy on Iran‘s nuclear program is “getting smaller,” as Tehran’s uranium enrichment advances.
Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was visiting the capital in an effort to restore his inspectors’ access to Iran’s plans.
Iran placed limitations on the world’s leading nuclear peace organization in early 2021.
This action followed a law passed by the Iranian parliament in December 2020, which mandated a reduction in compliance with the IAEA’s monitoring activities if sanctions against Iran were not lifted.
Grossi spoke about the urgency of resolving questions over increasingly murky territory.
“We know that it is indispensable to get, at this point of time, some concrete, tangible and visible results that will indicate that this joint work is improving (the) situation,” he said at a press conference.
Flanked by Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Grossi stressed only “clarification” can shift nations from “conflict and ultimately war.”
Diminishing Diplomatic Time with Iran
Iran has expanded its nuclear activities since 2018, when President-elect Donald Trump‘s first term saw the United States leave the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the multilateral nuclear deal limiting Iran’s program.
Since then, Iran has enriched uranium up to 60 percent——close to the 90 percent level needed for nuclear weapons. Surveillance by the IAEA has been disrupted on several occasions, with Iran barring some of its most experienced inspectors, limiting the scope for negotiations.
Several countries are now prepared to address Iran’s program at the upcoming IAEA Board of Governors meeting.
Grossi took the time to stress the urgency of negotiations.
“The fact that international tensions and regional tensions do exist——this shows that the space for negotiation and diplomacy is not getting bigger, it is getting smaller,” he said.
Iran Will Not Negotiate Under ‘Pressure and Intimidation’
In response, Eslami warned that Tehran would not accept additional pressure.
“We have repeatedly said any resolution seeking to intervene in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear affairs will be definitely followed by immediate reciprocal steps,” he said.
“We will not allow them to (exert) this kind of pressure.”
Grossi also met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who later reiterated Iran’s stance on social platform X.
“Differences can be resolved through cooperation and dialogue,” he said, adding that Tehran was “NOT ready to negotiate under pressure and intimidation.”
While Araghchi reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), he cautioned that Iran would resist any demands perceived as coercive.
Grossi Appeals to Iran for De-escalation
The trip highlighted regional conflicts, with both journalists and Eslami criticizing Israel‘s alleged sabotage of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Iran has long accused Israel of targeting its nuclear program through covert operations. Israeli officials, in turn, have hinted at potential strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
This exchange of threats that has intensified amid ongoing hostilities between the two nations since Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah, a long-standing ally.
Last month, Araghchi warned Iran has “no red line in defense of our interests” in reference to the attacks.
Grossi reaffirmed the IAEA’s role as a force for conflict resolution.
“This is my target. This is my concern. And I am confident that we are going to be able to do it,” he concluded.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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