Nuclear watchdog pushing for resumption of ‘essential verification activities’ in Iran

A United Nations nuclear watchdog said this week that he wanted to press Iranian officials during a meeting for the resumption of “essential verification activities” as his office struggles to monitor Tehran’s stock of uranium.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Monday that he would be open to addressing outstanding questions and creating a channel of dialogue.

“I hope to establish a fruitful and cooperative channel of direct dialogue so the @IAEAorg can resume essential verification activities in the country,” Grossi wrote on Twitter.

I’m travelling to Tehran today for meetings with Iranian officials to address outstanding questions in #Iran. I hope to establish a fruitful and cooperative channel of direct dialogue so the @IAEAorg can resume essential verification activities in the country.

— Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) November 22, 2021

Grossi visited the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran on Tuesday and spoke with Mohammad Eslami, who heads the organization, according to The Associated Press, which added that Grossi expressed the desire to keep communication open following the meeting.

“The agency is seeking to continue and deepen the dialogue with the government of Iran … We agreed to continue our joint work on transparency and this will continue,” Grossi said at a televised news conference, the AP reported.

The news service noted that Eslami was sanctioned in 2018 for “being engaged in, directly associated with or providing support for Iran’s proliferation sensitive nuclear activities or for the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems.”

After Tuesday’s meeting, Eslami said that the country had faced “technical” issues and is not governed by the “political issues and conspiracies” of Iran’s enemies.

“Some parts are yet to be answered and some parts have to do with issues that have already been closed in the past,” he said, according to AP. “They have been addressed in the nuclear deal and have been closed. Today, we agreed to put an end to them.”