Iran’s nuclear chief rejects IAEA’s demand for access to Karaj site, says beyond security measures
Vienna: Iran’s nuclear chief said on Tuesday that the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA’s demand for access to the Karaj workshop goes beyond security measures and is unacceptable to Tehran, semi-official news agency ISNA reported.
Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, said, “Karaj … is out of safeguards… We work within the framework of the safeguards and the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) and do not accept anything else.” “
“The Karaj issue is closed, and the alleged case and Karaj are intertwined and should be resolved together,” he said.
Tehran accused Western parties of “remaining in their blame game” on Tuesday for its 2015 nuclear deal, a day after European diplomats warned that the deal could be reached soon if efforts to revive it fail. will end.
In a pessimistic assessment of talks between Iran and major powers in Vienna, diplomats from Britain, France and Germany warned on Monday that “time is running out” to salvage the agreement, which they said will be without progress too soon. will become “an empty shell”. In conversation.
Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani responded on Twitter, saying: “Some actors persist in the habit of their blame game rather than actual diplomacy. We proposed our ideas early on, and worked creatively and flexibly to address deficiencies.
Referring to the United States and the withdrawal of the nuclear deal in 2018, Kani wrote: “Diplomacy is a two-way street. If there is a genuine will to put an end to the wrongdoings of the offender, a quick, good deal will pave the way.”
However, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that Washington continues to pursue diplomacy with Iran because “it is the best option at the moment,” but added that it is “actively working with allies and partners on options”. attached to.”
Indirect talks between arch-enemy Iran and the United States began in April, but were halted in June after the election of hardline cleric Ibrahim Raisi, whose negotiating team has returned to Vienna after five months with a firm stance.
In 2019, Iran began violating nuclear sanctions under the treaty in response to the US withdrawal and a decision to reimpose harsh sanctions that devastated Iran’s economy.
A senior US official has said that during the seventh round of talks, which began on November 29, Iran abandoned any agreements made in the previous six and demanded more.
With significant gaps between Iran and the United States on some key issues – such as the speed and scope of lifting sanctions and how and when Iran will reverse its nuclear moves – the prospect of a deal seems remote.
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