IAEA chief stresses importance of resolving safeguards issues linked to Iran’s nuclear program

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) – International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi on Monday highlighted the importance of resolving issues arising from Iran’s obligations under the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement.

Grossi said these issues need to be addressed for the agency to be able to provide assurances that Iran’s nuclear program is entirely peaceful.

Addressing Iran's nuclear activities and longstanding issues with the country, he noted that Tehran has not fulfilled its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) for around three-and-a-half years.

As a result, he said the agency has lost continuity in information regarding technical equipment such as centrifuges used for uranium enrichment at nuclear facilities as well as wastewater and other elements related to monitoring.

Grossi reiterated that Tehran has also failed to meet its obligations under the safeguards agreement.

In addition, he said Iran has not complied with the Additional Protocol and Code 3.1 provisions.

Noting that 15 months have passed without progress since the Joint Statement of March 4, 2023 between the two parties, Grossi called on Tehran to implement the Joint Statement.

Saying he had been in contact with new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian following the country’s presidential elections, Grossi said he hoped to hold talks with Pezeshkian by November on enhancing Iran’s cooperation with the agency.

“He agreed to meet with me at an appropriate juncture. I encourage Iran to facilitate such a meeting in the not-too-distant future so that we can establish a constructive dialogue that leads swiftly to real results,” said Grossi in a statement to a quarterly meeting of the Agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors.

-Nuclear safety in Ukraine

Grossi said that during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, they discussed the need for a more active approach to ensure the security of electrical transformer stations, which are of critical importance for the country's nuclear power plants.

The IAEA chief said the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains unstable, with ongoing challenges such as regular explosions, drone attacks, gunfire and repeated disruptions to the external power supply increasing the risk of a nuclear accident.

Saying that all reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are kept shut down, he noted that as long as conflicts continue to jeopardize the nuclear safety and security of the facility, it is clear that no reactor will be restarted

Grossing also noted that he met with senior Russian officials in Kaliningrad due to an attempted attack on the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in Russia.

“Nuclear power plants in any way cannot be considered military targets. They're not legitimate military targets,” he said.