Vienna Talks; IAEA Chief to Travel to Iran

After 11 months since the start of talks to revive the JCPOA, reports from Vienna indicate the continuation of negotiations on “remaining issues” between the nuclear agreement parties.

While the United States and European countries say the window of opportunity is closing, disputes between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran remain persistent.

The “Nour News” website, close to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, on Thursday, March 3rd, in a report identified ongoing safeguards issues between Iran and the IAEA as one of the main factors slowing down the Vienna talks process.

Islamic Republic officials continue to place the ball in the court of the United States and European countries.

Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, on Thursday, March 3rd in a tweet, referring to the previous U.S. administration’s “maximum pressure” policy, wrote that if a good agreement is not reached in Vienna talks, “the current U.S. administration will also feel defeat due to failure to seize the diplomatic opportunity in time.”

This comes as Ned Price, U.S. State Department spokesperson, three days ago said that if Iran shows inconsistency in advancing Vienna talks, Washington is ready to abandon these negotiations.

Nevertheless, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s representative in Vienna talks, reported conducting a “useful” dialogue with Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s senior negotiator.

On Thursday, March 3rd, he tweeted that these talks were on issues that need to be addressed to finalize the Vienna negotiations.

• Senior Diplomat Tells Reuters: Iran Has Moved Closer to Building Nuclear Bomb

Reuters news agency on Thursday, March 3rd reported that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is approaching the level needed to build a nuclear bomb.

Having obtained a copy of a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, it shows that Iran’s reserves of 60 percent enriched uranium have doubled and reached over 33 kilograms.

The report, citing a senior diplomat, states that this amount of uranium, if further enriched, would be three-quarters of the amount needed to build a nuclear bomb.

The 60 percent uranium enrichment in Iran is taking place while the nuclear agreement, JCPOA, had set uranium enrichment levels at 3.67 percent.

The IAEA’s recent report also indicates that Iran’s uranium stockpile has currently reached more than three tons, while the JCPOA had set a limit of 202 kilograms for uranium stockpile with 3.67 percent enrichment.

The Wall Street Journal also reported that the amount of Iran’s uranium stockpile would be sufficient to build a nuclear bomb if its concentration reaches 90 percent.

• IAEA Chief to Travel to Tehran to Negotiate on Differences

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is scheduled to travel to Tehran on Saturday, March 5th.

The discovery of uranium traces in some undeclared facilities by Iran is one of the points of contention between the IAEA and Tehran.

Iran has also suspended the IAEA’s access to data from cameras installed in its nuclear facilities for several months.

Said Khatibzadeh, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, on the eighth of Esfand stated that Tehran wants its file closed at the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Rafael Grossi says the IAEA will never close this file for political reasons and the only way to resolve existing differences between Tehran and the IAEA is through negotiations on the issues.

Simultaneously, Iran’s political negotiations with the JCPOA parties continue over “remaining issues.”

The negotiating parties have provided no explanation about the details of these remaining issues, but Iran had previously demanded the lifting of all sanctions related to terrorism, nuclear and missile programs, as well as human rights sanctions.

Iran has also requested guarantees from Western countries that the United States will not withdraw from the JCPOA again.

Talks to revive the JCPOA with the presence of representatives from Iran, France, Britain, Germany, Russia, China, and the European Union, as well as the indirect presence of U.S. representatives in Vienna, have been ongoing for 10 months.

Source: Voice of America