Iran has liaised with experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on issues related to its nuclear program, Reuters reported referring to the acting IAEA Director General Cornel Feruta.
“Some engagement is ongoing, and this engagement is currently taking place,” Feruta told reporters, adding that this new engagement was in relation to his call in September for action by Iran, though he still declined to go into specifics.
Moreover, as Feruta noted, such interaction does not mean that all problems have been completely resolved.
“This is an ongoing process ... I cannot prejudge how this is going to end. The engagement doesn’t mean that the issues are completely addressed, but it’s a step in the right direction,” Feruta said.
At the end of September, the IAEA circulated a report saying that Tehran had begun enriching uranium with improved centrifuges in violation of the Iranian deal. In addition, at the beginning of last month, as Reuters reported, the IAEA experts found traces of uranium in samples taken in Tehran at one of the sites. The IAEA requested an explanation from Iran, but then they were not provided.
The future of the Iranian nuclear deal came into question after the US unilaterally withdraws from the deal on May 8, 2018 and Washington imposed sanctions against Iran in the field of oil exports. In May 2019, Iran announced the first phase of the suspension of part of its nuclear deal obligations (60-day stoppage of enriched uranium sales). In July, Tehran proceeded to the second stage of the suspension, announcing the enrichment of uranium by more than 3.67% and promising to reduce obligations every 60 days if other parties to the transaction do not adhere to the agreements reached.
On September 6, Iran announced that it had embarked on the third phase of reducing obligations under the deal and abandoned restrictions on research activities on the atom. The IAEA reported on September 8 that Iranian authorities informed him of the start of research and the development of new centrifuges. Subsequently, it became known that Tehran is developing measures that will constitute the fourth stage of reducing its obligations under the JCPOA.
