Grossi Hopes for ‘Eye to Eye’ Talks With Tehran

Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi said he hopes to return to Iran soon “and to have the proper high level talks, eye-to-eye” to restore the agency’s full monitoring ability. 
The IAEA was put in charge of monitoring the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which placed curbs on Iran’s nuclear activity in exchange for the lifting of crippling sanctions.
Iran restricted the agency’s inspections as part of countermeasures against the United States’ withdrawal from the JCPOA and its reimposition of sweeping sanctions.
Grossi negotiated a last-minute compromise to keep cameras recording at key nuclear sites in Iran, temporarily forgoing examination of their footage pending a possible removal of US sanctions.
He traveled to Iran in September for technical consultations about the IAEA’s access to its monitoring equipment, but agreed that he would be returning to carry on with the discussions, potentially centering on political aspects.
“I would say we are flying in a heavily clouded sky,” Grossi said of his agency’s ability to perform its monitoring function in Iran. 
“So we are flying and we can continue in this way, but not for too long,” he told the AP on the sidelines of the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow. 
The IAEA chief had said earlier that he expects to visit Tehran before the agency’s November Board of Governors meeting, where western powers could push to censure Tehran formally.
“[Restoring IAEA real-time monitoring ability] is in their interest as much as it is in the international community’s interest, because if they take seriously their intentions to continue with their nuclear program for civil purposes, they have to give the guarantees of what is going on there,” he said. 

Uncertain Territory

Continued monitoring of Iran’s nuclear activity could facilitate talks on the revival of the JCPOA that have been underway since April in the Austrian capital Vienna. 
Iran demands a full and verified lifting of US sanctions before it reverses its steps beyond the deal’s limits, including the scope of IAEA inspection. 
The talks have been at pause since June, when a new conservative government came to power in Iran. 
Grossi said security around Iran’s nuclear facilities have also become tighter with the change of government, occasionally causing difficult moments for inspectors. 
During his September trip, Iran allowed the agency to service cameras and replace memory cards at all sites in Iran, except a complex in Karaj which makes components for centrifuges.
The workshop was hit by apparent sabotage in June in which one of four IAEA cameras there was destroyed. 
Iran blames the sabotage on Israel, demanding condemnation by the international community and the IAEA.
“One has to, at some point, come to grips with this situation,” said Grossi. “Otherwise we are going to be in a very uncertain territory, and I hope that will not be the case.”