Grossi Expressed Hope That Iran Will Adhere to Limiting Its Uranium Stockpiles

Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), expressed hope on Wednesday, November 21, that Iran's actions to limit its uranium stockpiles, which have nearly reached weapons-grade levels, will remain sustainable. These remarks were made as the IAEA Board of Governors is on the verge of approving a resolution proposed by Western countries that could disrupt this process. The IAEA reported to member states that Iran has taken steps to halt the increase of enriched uranium stockpiles to 60%, a level close to the 90% enrichment needed for nuclear weapons. Grossi stated that this agreement is a result of his visit to Iran last week. However, diplomats have indicated that this agreement is conditional on Western powers refraining from pursuing a critical resolution against Iran. Despite this condition, Britain, France, Germany, and the United States officially presented the resolution text to the Board of Governors on Wednesday. Grossi commented on Iran's step, saying, 'I think this is a tangible step in the right direction.' This agreement includes limiting Iran's enriched uranium to 60%, which, according to IAEA standards, would be sufficient for the construction of four nuclear weapons if further enriched. Grossi also responded to a question about the nature and impact of Israel's attack on the Parchin facilities, stating that the agency does not consider this site a 'nuclear facility' and has no evidence of nuclear materials present there. The resolution presented to the Board of Governors follows a resolution passed in June, which was opposed only by Russia and China. This resolution criticized Iran for not cooperating with the agency and called for Grossi to provide a 'comprehensive' report on Iran's activities. Diplomats say the aim of these resolutions is to pressure Iran to enter negotiations for a new agreement on limits to the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities before the restrictions of the 2015 agreement with major powers expire in October. The 2015 agreement collapsed after the United States withdrew from it under then-President Donald Trump in 2018. In a warning ahead of the Board of Governors meeting, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that issuing a resolution against Iran would be provocative. This is the last quarterly meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors before Trump takes office in January, and it remains unclear whether he will be ready for new negotiations. Grossi, in his speech to the Board of Governors before the press conference, stated, 'I asked the Islamic Republic of Iran... if it is possible to refrain from increasing its 60% enriched uranium stockpiles. And I must say that this request was accepted by Iran.' However, Grossi did not directly answer whether this means a formal commitment from Iran. He added that in his discussions, this action by Iran was not conditional on the non-approval of the resolution. Iran has typically reacted to criticisms such as resolutions by intensifying its nuclear activities or reducing the agency's oversight in response to these resolutions. Following reports of damage to Iran's nuclear program due to an Israeli attack, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog called for adherence to international laws on Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in the Knesset on Monday that part of Iran's nuclear program was damaged in an attack carried out by the Israeli army in October, which was in response to an attack from Iran on Israel a few weeks prior. Rafael Grossi, in a side press conference in Vienna, stated, 'There is a law that indicates nuclear facilities should not be attacked. I hope this issue is respected and that reason prevails.' Grossi added that he intends to discuss this matter with the Israeli government. The American news site Axios previously reported that a facility in Parchin in northern Iran was destroyed. According to Israeli and American officials, this facility was part of Iran's secret weapons nuclear program before 2003 and had recently been reactivated. Grossi stated that while nuclear activities may have been conducted there in the past, the likelihood of such activities occurring there now is low. He added, 'We have no information to confirm the presence of nuclear materials there.' In the lead-up to the IAEA Board of Governors meeting and amid increasing speculation about the approval of punitive measures against Iran, the French Foreign Minister called for Tehran's full cooperation with this UN oversight body. After a joint meeting of the foreign ministers of European powers on Wednesday, November 21, to discuss a punitive resolution against Tehran, Jean-Noël Barot, the French Foreign Minister, reminded his Iranian counterpart of Iran's full compliance with its commitments and obligations, including full cooperation with the agency. The French Foreign Ministry's statement noted that Jean-Noël Barot emphasized in a call with Abbas Araghchi that 'the acceleration of Iran's nuclear activities raises serious concerns, particularly increasing speculation about the possibility of Iran moving towards producing nuclear weapons.' The statement further noted that France, alongside Britain and Germany, will continue its efforts to resume negotiations with Iran in order to achieve a diplomatic solution. The three European powers known as E3 are the only European countries that are parties to the JCPOA, and on Tuesday night, ahead of the November 21 meeting, they presented a draft punitive resolution against Iran to the IAEA Board of Governors and called for a comprehensive report on Iran's nuclear activities. On the other hand, the Iranian Foreign Minister considered the presentation of a draft punitive resolution by European countries to be at odds with what he described as a 'positive atmosphere' between Tehran and the agency and warned that this action would complicate the situation. Abbas Araghchi simultaneously warned that if a punitive resolution against Iran is approved, Tehran will respond with 'proportionate measures.' The senior diplomat of the Islamic Republic, in a phone call with Rafael Grossi, the head of the IAEA, stated that if European countries ignore Iran's 'goodwill and interactive approach' by approving a punitive resolution against Tehran in the Board of Governors, Iran will also be forced to respond 'in a proportionate manner.'