Iran: IAEA authorized to visit two nuclear sites

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi (right) with Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali-Akbar Salehi on August 25, 2020, in Tehran. West Asia News Agency via Reuters

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Tehran gave its agreement on Wednesday August 26 for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to enter two nuclear sites. This decision follows a request from European states that wanted Iran to prove that no undeclared nuclear activity has taken place at these two sites. The announcement also comes amid tensions over the US attempt to reimpose UN sanctions.

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It is a pledge of goodwill on the part of Iran, which has so far refused to open the doors of certain sensitive nuclear sites to international experts. Tehran argued that the suspicions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were based on Israeli allegations. No one had therefore been able to verify whether or not undeclared nuclear activities had taken place in the early 2000s on these two sites.

Facing the Americans, the Europeans want to save the 2015 agreement

This time, the visit to Tehran of the new IAEA chief unblocked the situation. Rafael Grossi welcomed a constructive meeting with his Iranian counterpart, who welcomed the opening of "  a new chapter  ". Tehran is therefore showing openness in a context of growing tension between the United States and its European allies over the nuclear agreement signed in 2015, and from which Donald Trump withdrew in 2018.

In recent weeks, the Americans have tried by all means to maintain an arms embargo on Iran and to reimpose UN sanctions. But Washington has diplomatically isolated itself on this issue. The UK, France and Germany have rejected the move, saying they want to save what can still be saved from the Iran nuclear deal. Europeans, China, Russia and Iran will meet on Tuesday September 1 in Vienna.

► See also: UN: new failure of the United States to restore sanctions against Iran

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  • Iran
  • Nuclear

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