Iran Suspends Implementation of Additional Protocol

Despite an agreement between the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency and officials of the Islamic Republic, Iran has suspended the implementation of the Additional Protocol. This comes as the content of the agreement between Iran and the Agency is considered confidential by relevant officials.

Based on a resolution passed by the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the implementation of the Additional Protocol by the Iranian government was to be suspended in case sanctions were not lifted. Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, had traveled to Tehran in this regard.

Following his meeting with Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Grossi announced that an agreement had been reached with the officials of the Islamic Republic; an agreement that effectively postponed Iran’s implementation of the deadline for three months.

IRNA, the official news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran, announced in a report that the Iranian government has implemented the parliamentary resolution.

Kazem Gharibabadi, the permanent representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the International Atomic Energy Agency, announced on Monday, the fourth of Esfand (February 22): “All the Agency’s complementary access will be halted from midnight tonight.”

Gharibabadi continued: “From 12 o’clock tonight, there is nothing called commitments beyond the NPT. Necessary orders have been issued to nuclear facilities.”

The suspension of the implementation of the Additional Protocol effectively means restricting the access and monitoring of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The European troika, as well as Russia and China, warned Iran about the implementation of this policy and emphasized that such an action could make the return of the United States to the nuclear agreement difficult.

Source: DW