TEHRAN (Iran News) –For years the Islamic Republic of Iran has tried to give some voluntary and one-sided concessions to the International Atomic Energy Agency in order to prove its good-will and sincere cooperation with this UN body but unfortunately the body has been emboldened to ask more from Tehran while closes its eyes on some other countries.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has always said that it will cooperate with the IAEA based on its obligations and even it gave some concessions during the JCPOA agreement in 2015 and let the body for more monitoring of Iran’s nuclear activities but it seems the IAEA now thinks that Iran should continue giving concessions for more inspections while the West does not observe its obligations regarding the JCPOA agreement
On Tuesday, the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) described the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) demands as “excessive,” saying they cannot be implemented due to the sanctions in place against the Islamic Republic.
“We consider the IAEA’s demands excessive, because their implementation is impossible due to sanctions,” Behrouz Kamalvandi said.
Kamalvandi elaborated on the current scope of Iran-IAEA ties, saying Tehran’s cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog is based on the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA), which, he added, revolves around the agency’s inspection of nuclear materials.
Aside from the CSA, he added, countries adhering to the Additional Protocol, have undertaken to give the IAEA access for inspection of their uranium enrichment equipment as well.
The official said Iran used to provide the UN nuclear watchdog with even broader access for inspection as part of the 2015 nuclear deal, which is currently in trouble due to Washington’s unilateral exit.
Iran, he said, decided to restrict the scope of its cooperation with the IAEA to the SCA under a law approved by the Iranian Parliament in late 2020, entitled “The Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions.”
Kamalvandi added, however, that “if the West lifts the sanctions and lives up to its own commitments under the nuclear deal, Iran will reciprocate,” he added.
Referring to Iran’s removal of 27 surveillance cameras at different nuclear sites, Kamalvandi said that if the other parties return to their commitments, it would be possible for the devices and cameras to be reinstalled.
Tehran will continue its constructive cooperation with the UN nuclear agency in line with its commitments under the CSA, the official added.
Iran ratified the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1970, which requires nonnuclear-weapon states to accept comprehensive IAEA safeguards. Four years later, Tehran concluded a comprehensive safeguards agreement with the IAEA.
As a goodwill gesture, Iran voluntarily chose to have extensive cooperation with the UN nuclear agency, beyond the safeguards agreement.
Iran and the IAEA are currently locked in a dispute triggered by the agency’s Israeli-influenced accusations, which were leveled against Tehran’s peaceful nuclear activities just as the Islamic Republic and other parties to the Iran deal appeared close to an agreement on reviving the Iran deal.
Iran asserts that an agreement on the revival of the Iran nuclear deal hinges on the settlement of Safeguards issues between Tehran and the IAEA, and that without settling those issues, reviving the 2015 accord makes no sense.
Although Iran has always shown its good-will and cooperated with this body, this body is getting bold and wants one-sided concessions from Tehran but it should know this fact that there will be no more free concessions and this time Tehran will give concessions in case it benefit otherwise it will not cooperate with the IAEA more than Its international obligations.
And IAEA chief Rafael Grossi is better to stop repeating accusations against the Islamic Republic, calling on Iran to explain what he claimed to be “traces of enriched uranium” found at the country’s nuclear research sites three years ago.
Tehran now will abide by law and will cooperate with the IAEA according to its commitments stipulated for cooperation with this body and extra cooperation and concession will not be available any longer until the West comes to its senses and observe its obligations regarding the JCPOA otherwise the IAEA and the West should dream of Iran’s concessions any longer.
