"Fruitful discussions".

Iran welcomed talks in Tehran on Sunday February 21 with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi.

These discussions took place with the approach of the application of a law which would militate the inspections of the nuclear activities of Iran, that in the event of maintenance of the American sanctions.

The deadline set by Iranian law expires Sunday, February 21, but an Iranian official said it would not come into effect until Tuesday, February 23, unless the United States announces a lifting of its sanctions.

These sanctions were reinstated in 2018 by former President Donald Trump who unilaterally withdrew his country from the 2015 international agreement that was supposed to frame Iran's nuclear program.

Rafael Grossi, IAEA Director General, met the President of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization (OIEA), Ali Akbar Salehi, and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

"Iran and the IAEA have had fruitful discussions based on mutual respect and the results of which will be published in the evening," tweeted Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, nuclear "gendarme" of the UN.

Mr. Grossi was due to hold a press conference on Sunday evening upon his return to Vienna, IAEA headquarters, after the 24-hour visit to Tehran.

In a statement to Press TV, the English-language state television channel, Zarif said he would discuss with the IAEA chief the implementation of Iranian law, which aims to restrict certain inspections of IAEA sites in Iran.

But, according to Zarif, the law would not end in a "dead end" in the collaboration between Iran and the IAEA.

And Mr. Grossi will be able "to fulfill his obligations to show that the Iranian nuclear program remains peaceful".

"No records"

The Iranian foreign minister clarified that the law passed in December by Parliament required his government to "not provide recordings" of surveillance cameras installed on sites to the IAEA.

According to Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, "IAEA inspections will be reduced by around 20-30% after the law is implemented."

“This certainly does not mean a withdrawal from the agreement” of 2015.

This pact provides for a gradual lifting of sanctions, in exchange for the guarantee that Iran would not acquire atomic weapons.

Even if Iran has always denied having such a goal.

After the unilateral American withdrawal and the reinstatement of the sanctions that strangle the Iranian economy, Iran gradually freed itself from 2019 from several limits that it had agreed to impose on its nuclear program under the agreement. concluded in 2015 with the 5 + 1 group (United States, France, Germany, Great Britain, Russia, China).

According to Zarif, "stocks of enriched uranium will increase" as well, while waiting for the other side to meet its obligations.

"Once everyone has done their part and fulfilled their obligations, then there will be (a resumption) of discussions," he added.

In December, Iran's parliament demanded the government to restrict some IAEA inspections of non-nuclear facilities, including suspicious military sites in Iran, if sanctions are not lifted by February 21.

"Western scam"

In a gesture to Iran, the United States on Thursday (February 18) accepted an invitation from Europeans to participate in talks to relaunch the 2015 agreement. But the next day, Joe Biden called on European powers to work with the United States to respond to Iran's "destabilizing activities" in the Middle East.

In this complex diplomatic context and while Iran and the United States have not maintained diplomatic relations since 1980, Araghchi said Iran was considering the EU's proposal for an "informal meeting".

With AFP

>> 

To read also: 

Iranian nuclear: Washington multiplies the gestures of goodwill vis-à-vis Tehran

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