Iran and the United Nations nuclear watchdog have signed an agreement to pave the way for resuming cooperation, including on ways of relaunching inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The announcement followed a meeting in Cairo between Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi.
The meeting was mediated by Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
What do we know about the agreement?
Grossi called the deal “a step in the right direction,” at a joint news conference after the signing.
He said the deal was technical in nature and highlighted the “indispensable” inspection work that needs to resume in Iran under the treaty of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
No further details were provided about the agreement.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi told reporters the deal addresses his country’s concerns and security challenges and lays out technical requirements for cooperation with the IAEA.
But he warned that in the event of “any hostile act” against Iran, including the reimposition of UN sanctions, Iran would regard the agreement with the IAEA as terminated.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Abdelatty warned that the deal “signed today is the beginning of a path that requires commitment from everybody.”
Framework comes after new Iran sanctions threat
The IAEA meeting with Iran comes at a sensitive time. In late August, Germany, France and the United Kingdom began a 30-day process of reimposing sanctions on Iran.
The three nations have said Iran is non-compliant with a 2015 agreement aimed at preventing it from developing nuclear weapons.
While Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, Western countries accuse the government of seeking an atomic weapon.
Iran suspended cooperation with IAEA inspectors in July after key nuclear facilities were attacked by Israel and then the United States in June.
The UN agency has been negotiating with Iranian officials for weeks on resuming inspections, with particular focus on more than 400 kilograms of uranium that the IAEA says has been enriched to nearly weapons-grade level.
So far, Iran has not informed the agency where this material is being stored or in what condition it remains following the strikes.
The only site inspected by the IAEA since the war has been the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which operates with Russian technical assistance.
“Today’s framework deal for resuming inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities could mark a crucial step for nuclear diplomacy, provided there is rapid implementation by Iran,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote in a post on X late on Tuesday.
Edited by: Rana Taha
