US reaction to the installation of new IAEA cameras at Karaj Tsai
Iran's agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency to install new cameras at the Karaj Nuclear Power Plant has sparked international reactions. The United States announced that this agreement eliminates the need for a Board of Governors. The UN Secretary-General welcomed the agreement.
Reuters has reported on the Islamic Republic's new agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding the replacement of cameras at the Karaj TsAI, which has removed one of the potential obstacles to broader nuclear negotiations.
The United States had threatened to complain to the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors if the Islamic Republic did not agree to install cameras against Iran.
After the announcement of the agreement between Iran and the Atomic Energy Agency, Reuters quoted an American official who did not want to be named as saying that if Tehran keeps its promises, Washington will no longer see the need to hold a special meeting of the IAEA's Board of Governors by the end of this year.
At the end of its report, Reuters quoted Eurasia Group analyst Henry Rome as saying that the agreement reached between the Islamic Republic and the IAEA was a "tactical move to avert a short-term diplomatic crisis, but the broader nuclear deal impasse remains."
Atomic Energy Agency: Cameras to be installed soon
On Wednesday, December 15, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, announced in a Twitter message that the IAEA and Iran had reached an agreement to install surveillance cameras at the TESA Karaj complex.
He tweeted that this agreement is very important for verification and work will continue to address other important issues.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement that the new cameras will be installed in the coming days.
Guterres welcomes Iran-IAEA agreement
Tasnim News Agency reported a telephone conversation between UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian of the Islamic Republic.
According to the report, Guterres told Amir Abdollahian that "the agreement between Iran and the IAEA will have a positive impact on the confidence-building process in the Vienna talks" and that he will use all the tools of the United Nations to ensure that the nuclear talks lead to a good outcome.
Russia: Iran's agreement with the IAEA is real progress
Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's permanent representative to international organizations based in Vienna, also welcomed the recent agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency to install new cameras at the Tsai Karaj nuclear facility, speaking of "real progress."
Ulyanov wrote on his Twitter account: "The agreement between Iran and Mr. Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, regarding the Karaj nuclear facility is a very valuable contribution to the Vienna negotiations to revive the JCPOA."
Tesa's integrated facilities in Karaj
The Iranian Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA) facility is located in Karaj and is dedicated to manufacturing centrifuge components. Iran's advanced centrifuges, which have recently been used for high-enrichment uranium, were apparently designed and manufactured at this complex.
The complex was the target of a “sabotage drone attack” in early July of this year, destroying one of the four IAEA cameras there. After that, Iran did not cooperate with the agency in replacing the damaged cameras or the memory cards for these cameras, and even excluded them from the scope of the agreement with the agency. Suspicions were raised in Tehran that the attack on TESA was possible through hacking of the agency’s cameras.
