West News Wire: Important talks between the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI) and the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have taken place in the Iranian capital.
Head Rafael Grossi of the UN nuclear watchdog arrived in Tehran on Friday to meet with senior Iranian officials, with a focus on technical nuclear matters. During his two-day stay, the Argentinean envoy will also meet with President Ebrahim Raeisi.
Behrouz Kamalvandi, the AEOI spokesman, welcomed Grossi at the airport and hurried him to meet Mohammad Eslami, the Iranian nuclear chief.
Details of their discussion were not immediately available. This is Grossi’s fourth visit to Iran since assuming office in December 2019 and comes ahead of the IAEA Board of Governors meeting on Monday.
Iran and the IAEA are at odds over several issues concerning the country’s nuclear activities. The UN nuclear watchdog said in a confidential quarterly report that it had detected particles of uranium enriched to 83.7 percent during an inspection of the Fordow nuclear facility on January 22.
Eslami refuted the charge on Wednesday, claiming that Iran’s peaceful nuclear programs had not changed in any way.
The 84% particle, which was a sample taken from a tap’s side during the operation, cannot even be seen with a microscope. The amount of material held after production is crucial, according to the AEOI.
Grossi’s significant visit may assist break the impasse in negotiations to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the 2015 Nuclear Deal (JCPOA).
Despite the IAEA’s inability to inspect nuclear facilities in Israel, Iran has welcomed technical collaboration with the agency as seen by the inspectors’ frequent trips to Iranian installations.
