Rafael Grossi: I Do Not Have a Plan to Meet with Pezeshkian at the United Nations

Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), expressed his desire for constructive talks with Iran "before the U.S. elections" while referring to Iran's enrichment activities over the past three months. On Tuesday, September 10, during a press conference on the first day of the IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, he stated: "Our observations indicate that actions are being taken, but nothing suggests a rush to rapidly increase uranium enrichment." When asked if he had plans to meet with Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, he said he had no such plans but hoped the meeting would occur before the U.S. elections. Mr. Grossi explained that after the elections in Iran, he had expressed readiness to meet with Pezeshkian in Tehran regarding the revival of talks and cooperation between the IAEA and Iran, to which the Iranian President had also shown willingness. He further urged the Islamic Republic of Iran to facilitate this meeting in the near future to take a step towards constructive dialogue and achieve real results. Since 2019, following the withdrawal of then-President Donald Trump from the JCPOA, which had been established during Barack Obama's presidency, Iran has increased its nuclear activities, having committed to limitations in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. In another part of his remarks, the IAEA Director General emphasized that there has been no progress in implementing the March 4, 2023 agreement over the past 15 months and called on Iran to implement this agreement through "serious engagement" with the Agency. Grossi referred to the agreement between Iran and the IAEA reached on March 6, 2023, during the Director General's visit to Iran, which aimed to expand interactions between Iran and the Agency within the framework of the comprehensive safeguards agreement. Iran was to provide technical responses and necessary cooperation regarding three locations mentioned by the Agency where uranium was found and also voluntarily accept increased verification activities and more oversight by the Agency. According to this agreement, contentious issues were to be reviewed during a meeting scheduled for spring 2024, and if the Agency was satisfied, the matter would be considered for closure at the Board of Governors. However, three months later, Grossi announced that he was not satisfied with the level of Iran's cooperation and that existing issues remained unresolved. During the press conference on the first day of the Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Grossi also stated that Iran's enriched uranium stocks at 20% and 60% concentration continue to increase, and Iran has increased the number of cascades it uses for uranium enrichment. According to the IAEA Director General, Tehran has not implemented its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA, including the temporary implementation of the Additional Protocol, for more than three and a half years, resulting in the Agency lacking up-to-date information on the production and number of centrifuges, heavy water, and uranium ore concentrate in Iran. He also stated: "No progress has been made in resolving remaining safeguards issues. Iran claims to have declared all materials, activities, and nuclear sites required under the safeguards agreement, while this contradicts the Agency's findings regarding human-origin uranium particles at undeclared locations in Iran. The Agency must be informed about the current locations of nuclear materials or related contaminated equipment." The IAEA Director General further mentioned that "Iran is still not implementing Code 3.1, which is a legal obligation for Iran, and has stated that it has suspended the implementation of this law." He noted that these remaining safeguards issues stem from Iran's commitments under the comprehensive safeguards agreement, which must be resolved for the Agency to confirm the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program. He added: "What we urgently need is to cooperate today and take steps to clarify the situation. My approach is to resolve current issues, and I do not think about the prospect of punitive actions in the future." Grossi also assessed the appointment of Abbas Araqchi as Iran's Foreign Minister positively, stating: "It is good that someone I have previously worked with is in charge, who knows the subject and is aware of all the details, and I hope to meet with him soon."