IAEA chief Grossi says talks with Tehran are taking place in an \u2018atmosphere of honesty and cooperation\u2019
\n Tehran
\nThe head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Saturday talks were ongoing with Iran on two sets of important matters, including the science sector, and there was \u201cgreat expectation\u201d about the process.
\nRafael Grossi began meetings in Tehran on Friday that diplomats said were meant to push Iran to cooperate with an IAEA investigation into uranium traces found at undeclared sites that had been enriched close to nuclear-weapons grade.
\n\u201cGlobally speaking, there are two sets of matters that are important. Clearly, there is great expectation about our joint work in order to move forward in the issues that Iran and the agency are working on, to clarify and to bring credible assurances about the nuclear programme in Iran,\u201d Grossi told reporters in Tehran.
\n\u201cThe second set of issues, which is very important, has to do with (the) scientific, technical cooperation we are having and will continue to have with Iran,\u201d he said, speaking alongside Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran.
\nGrossi said the talks were taking place in an \u201catmosphere of work, honesty and cooperation\u201d.
\nHis visit comes amid contacts with Tehran on the origin of the uranium particles enriched to up to 83.7% purity, very close to the 90% threshold for weaponisation, at its underground Fordow enrichment plant, according to a report by the UN nuclear watchdog seen by Reuters.
\nJoint agenda
\nEslami told reporters on Saturday that the Islamic Republic was enriching uranium up to 60% fissile purity.
\nGrossi later met President Ebrahim Raisi and \u201cexpressed satisfaction with achieving a joint agenda with the Atomic Energy Organisation on measures to smooth the path of cooperation\u201d, Raisi aide Mohammad Jamshidi tweeted.
\nRaisi added that \u201ccooperation is a bilateral matter, which could continue based on maintaining the independence of the IAEA and the rights of the Iranian nation\u201d, Jamshidi added.
\nIran often accuses the IAEA of being manipulated by the West and Tehran\u2019s arch-foe Israel and of disregarding the Islamic Republic\u2019s right to develop a peaceful nuclear programme. The IAEA rejects the accusations.
\nUnder a 2015 agreement with six world powers, Iran curbed its disputed uranium enrichment programme in return for relief from international sanctions. But the accord began to unravel in 2018 after then-US president Donald Trump pulled out and re-imposed tough US sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to start violating the deal\u2019s strict limits on enrichment.
\nIran\u2019s stonewalling of a years-long IAEA investigation into uranium traces found at three undeclared sites prompted the United Nations watchdog\u2019s 35-nation Board of Governors to pass a resolution at its last quarterly meeting in November ordering Tehran to cooperate urgently with the inquiry.
\nThat cooperation has not materialised and Grossi hoped the meeting with hardline President Raisi would help smooth the way towards ending the deadlock, diplomats in Europe said. The board\u2019s next quarterly meeting starts on Monday.
\nGrossi said it was an \u201cissue of necessity to have a very deep, serious, systematic dialogue with Iran. This is why I am here. It\u2019s been too long\u201d. He said he would \u201cjudge our degree of satisfaction at the end of the day\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
IAEA chief Grossi says talks with Tehran are taking place in an \u2018atmosphere of honesty and cooperation\u2019 Tehran The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Saturday talks were ongoing with Iran on two sets of important matters, including the science sector, and there was \u201cgreat expectation\u201d about the process. Rafael Grossi […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":317543,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-317524","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n