Reza Najafi, Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that in continuation of the recent negotiations in Tehran with IAEA Deputy Director General for Safeguards, Massimo Aparo, further talks had been held in Vienna. “The parties made progress in this round of talks, and it was agreed that discussions would continue to develop a protocol for interaction arrangements within the framework of the parliamentary law,” he added.
He emphasised that the talks were held in the context of the new circumstances following the June strikes by Israel and the US on Iran’s nuclear facilities and within the framework of the parliamentary law suspending Tehran’s full cooperation with the IAEA. “The new conditions set by the Islamic Republic of Iran for cooperation with the IAEA were outlined,” Najafi said. He added that talks will continue to finalise a guideline for future interactions.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Iranian delegation expressed strong criticism about the IAEA’s failure to fulfil its responsibilities during the June attacks. The Iranian team also informed the IAEA’s delegation of Tehran’s demands for reforming the IAEA’s approach to the Iranian nuclear issue.
Bloomberg subsequently reported that IAEA officials are set to travel to Washington next week for meetings with the US. This reportedly reflects the IAEA’s increasing pessimism about the possibility of returning inspectors to Iran, after they were expelled during the June conflict, effectively ending international oversight concerning the extent and purpose Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Iran maintains that sites bombed by the US and the Israeli occupation remain unsafe for inspections, though it suggested visits to unaffected locations such as the Russian-built NPP in Bushehr may be possible, while denying access to its main nuclear-fuel complex.
The Vienna talks were held in parallel with a phone conversation between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the EU high representative for foreign and security policy and his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany – the three European signatories (E3) to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iran signed the JCPOA with the P5+1 group of countries (the USA, UK, France, Russia, and China plus Germany) under which it agreed to limit its nuclear development programme in return for the lifting of sanctions. However, the US withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, prompting Iran to resume its nuclear development programme. While UN sanctions were lifted in 2015, US and European sanctions remained in place.
The Europeans have now threatened to trigger the snapback mechanism, embedded in the JCPOA, to restore all UN sanctions on Iran before the accord officially expires in October. Araghchi told the Europeans that Tehran is open to any diplomatic solution that safeguards its national rights, while warning Europe that triggering the JCPOA snapback mechanism would carry serious consequences.
Snapback would bring into force six previous Iran-related Security Council resolutions adopted between 2006 and 2010. It would reinstate the expired UN arms embargo that barred countries from supplying, selling, or transferring most military equipment to Iran and prohibited Tehran from exporting any weapons. It would also impose export controls, travel bans, asset freezes, and other restrictions on individuals, entities, and banks.
Araghchi also held a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, to discuss developments related to Iran’s nuclear programme and Tehran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Iran and Russia have stressed that the E3 are not entitled to try to have the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reinstate its sanctions against Iran. Araghchi and Lavrov referred to the increasingly incremental efforts of the E3 to have the Security Council restore the sanctions on the eve of expiration of UNSC Resolution 2231. The resolution was issued after conclusion of the JCPOA.
Araghchi and Lavrov said the European states’ refusal to commit to their obligations under the JCPOA, and their alignment with the US in its June strikes on Iran’s civil nuclear facilities in, had robbed them of any excuse to resort to the snapback. The foreign ministers, meanwhile, underlined the necessity of Resolution 2231 lapsing at the scheduled time. According to Araghchi, any decision on extending the resolution rests with the Security Council and its members.
The Russian Foreign Ministry Information and Press Department condemned the threats to Iran from the E3. In comments to Kommersant, the Ministry said: “The threats by the United Kingdom, Germany, and France to activate the mechanism for restoring the previously lifted UN sanctions against Iran (known as snapback) are a serious destabilising factor…. While the Europeans claim to support diplomacy and negotiations, their actions are undermining this prospect and raising doubts about their genuine interest in resolving the issues they are raising.”
The Ministry said: “We need to return to diplomacy and negotiate possible ways to eliminate any suspicions or prejudices against Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme based on international law and with due consideration for the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including its right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes under international control. This should be the focus of our efforts.”
Iran and the E3 will hold a new round of talks in Geneva, PressTV reported. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said said the meeting will be held at the level of deputy foreign ministers and political directors. He added that the participants will discuss Iran’s nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions against Tehran in addition to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorses the JCPOA. Tasnim news agency quoted an informed source as saying that the Iranian delegation will be headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has declared that Iran’s dispute with the US is “unsolvable,” insisting that Tehran will never give in to pressure from Washington. Iran suspended negotiations with the US after the 12-day conflict in June.
