President Hassan Rouhani urged the UN nuclear watchdog to maintain a "fair" approach to its monitoring and verifying of Iran's compliance with its commitments under the recent nuclear deal with major powers.
"In line with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [as the accord is formally known], we will voluntarily implement the Additional Protocol. In return, we expect you to monitor the JCPOA's implementation fairly," Rouhani said in a meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano in Tehran on Sunday.
The pact will place temporary limitations on Tehran's nuclear program and will grant it sanctions relief in return.
The removal of sanctions is tied to the UN agency's report on Iran's commitment to the terms of the plan of action.
Alongside the July 14 pact, Iran and the IAEA signed a roadmap agreement for the clarification of past and present outstanding issues regarding Tehran's nuclear work.
Amano told Rouhani that his agency favors "dialogue and negotiations" as a means to resolve every dispute.
"The IAEA is pursuing a well-organized, step-by-step plan in its probe into Iran's case and tries to act impartially to reflect the realities in its reports," he was quoted by IRNA as saying.
Amano's one-day trip also included separate talks with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, and a formal visit to the Parchin military site, where the IAEA claims Iran may have conducted experiments that could be relevant for any effort to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies its nuclear activities may have any military aspects.
***IAEA Chief in Majlis
The IAEA chief attended a meeting of the Majlis special commission on the JCPOA at the invitation of lawmakers, where Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi was also present.
In his address to the meeting, Amano said Iran's decision to voluntarily implement the IAEA's Additional Protocol is viewed by the agency as a gesture of goodwill which will contribute greatly to the settlement of the nuclear case.
Referring to the agreement between Iran and the agency, he said, "The roadmap is a robust plan with a specific timeline which is aimed at settling pending questions by the end of the year."
Iran presented explanations and information to the UN body on Aug. 15 as part of agreed measures under the roadmap.
The agreement has committed Iran to clarifying any further questions by the agency until Oct. 15 to allow Amano to prepare and submit a final assessment report to the agency's board of governors by mid-December.
The IAEA respects the confidentiality of its arrangements with Iran, Amano said, adding, "We follow a regime for protection of confidential information which we honor and take seriously."
Amano had previously appeared before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee in August, where he refused US lawmaker's demand that he disclose the "secret" details of the roadmap.
He argued that maintaining secrecy in dealings with countries is the standard practice of his agency and revealing confidential arrangements between the UN body and Iran, referred to by US critics of the JCPOA as the "secret side deals," would hurt the credibility of the IAEA.
