Iran will continue talks with the UN nuclear watchdog, with another round of negotiations expected in the coming days, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told state media on Monday.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors have been unable to access Iran’s nuclear sites since their bombing by Israel and the US during a 12-day conflict in June. Despite this, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi maintains that inspections remain his top priority.
“We had talks (with the IAEA) last week. These talks will continue and there will be another round of talks between Iran and the agency probably in the coming days,” Baghaei said.
Tehran has accused the IAEA of effectively paving the way for the Israel-U.S. attacks with a report on May 31 that led the IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors to declare Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.
The Islamic Republic has long denied Western suspicions of a covert effort to develop nuclear weapons capability, saying it remains committed to the Non-Proliferation Treaty that mandates peaceful uses of atomic energy for signatories.
“The level of our relations (with the IAEA) has changed after the events that took place, we do not deny that. However, our relations…remain direct,” Baghaei said during a televised weekly news conference.
Last month, Iran enacted a law passed by parliament suspending cooperation with the IAEA. The law stipulates that any future inspections of Iranian nuclear sites needs approval by Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council.
