Islamic Republic Officials Hope to Resolve JCPOA 'Ambiguities' Without 'Political Pressure'

The spokesperson for the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday, November 28, that he hopes negotiations regarding the nuclear program will take place 'free from pressures and political considerations' before the upcoming meeting of the United Nations nuclear agency's council this week. According to AFP, Ismail Baqaei stated in his weekly press conference with reporters: 'All our efforts and emphasis in the negotiations have been that the agency can carry out its technical work free from pressures and the destructive influences of certain parties.' This comes as Rafael Grossi, the head of the agency, traveled to Iran on Wednesday to discuss with senior officials, including Masoud Pezeshkian, the head of the Islamic Republic government. This visit comes ahead of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors meeting this week in Vienna, where Britain, Germany, and France are expected to pass a new resolution criticizing the Islamic Republic. According to the report, Baqaei expressed hope that the involved parties would allow issues between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the agency to continue 'in a technical manner and without pressures and political considerations.' He called Grossi's visit 'useful and positive' and stated that this trip brought about 'good understandings' between Tehran and the agency. Pezeshkian, in his meeting with Grossi, said that Tehran is willing to resolve 'doubts and ambiguities' regarding its nuclear program. The 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the JCPOA, between the Iranian government and world powers granted Iran sanctions relief in exchange for limitations on its nuclear program, which it has always claimed is for 'peaceful' purposes. However, this agreement collapsed after the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 under President Donald Trump, and sanctions were reimposed. In response, the Islamic Republic did not adhere to its commitments under the agreement and raised its uranium enrichment level to 60%, which is 30% less than the level needed to produce a nuclear bomb. Nevertheless, Abbas Araghchi, a senior diplomat of the Islamic Republic, said on Saturday that 'there is still an opportunity for diplomacy' regarding the country's nuclear program, but he described this opportunity as 'limited.' He added that the Islamic Republic is ready for both 'relations' and 'cooperation' depending on the path chosen by other parties. Grossi mentioned in Tehran the need for negotiations to avoid war. This was Grossi's first visit to Iran after Trump's election victory. Rafael Grossi visited the Natanz and Fordow enrichment facilities. The U.S. State Department stated that Biden will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. Grossi in Tehran: preventing 'war' is contingent on 'tangible results' from negotiations. European efforts to pass a resolution against the Islamic Republic at the IAEA. Grossi: the maneuvering space regarding the Islamic Republic's nuclear program is decreasing.