IAEA Closely Watching JCPOA Talks

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency expressed hope to see progress in ongoing negotiations in Vienna, Austria, aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi spoke to NHK in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.
Iran had announced the previous day that it will begin enriching uranium to 60% purity from the current 20% from Wednesday.
Grossi said Iran has informed IAEA of its decision and the agency’s inspectors are at the Natanz nuclear facility.
Grossi said, “These are days for a diplomatic negotiation, which the IAEA follows very closely.”
US and Iranian delegates held separate meetings in Vienna last week over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, with officials from the European Union and others serving as intermediaries. They held more talks in the Austrian capital on Thursday and Friday about the nuclear deal aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for easing sanctions.
Grossi described the negotiations as “very important”. He said he thinks the outcome of the talks will have a big influence on the agreement between his agency and Iran regarding inspections of nuclear facilities.
He said IAEA might need to talk bilaterally again with its Iranian colleagues to find a way forward, if the concerned parties fail to have an agreement by late May.
In late February, Iran agreed to allow IAEA to carry out inspections of its nuclear facilities to a certain extent until late May. The agreement was reached after Iran announced that it was suspending the implementation of a protocol that allows the IAEA to conduct snap inspections.