IAEA inspectors to visit second Iran site later this month: Grossi

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi says the agency's inspectors will visit the second of two sites in Iran later in September for verification purposes based on an agreement reached between the two sides late last month.

"We reached agreement on the resolution of the safeguards implementation issues raised by the Agency. The Agency subsequently conducted a complementary access, under the Additional Protocol, at one of the two locations specified by us," Grossi said during his introductory statement to the IAEA's 35-member Board of Governors on Monday.

"Our inspectors took environmental samples which will be analyzed. A complementary access at the second specified location will take place later this month," he added.

He noted that during his visit to Tehran, he held talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and other senior officials "aimed at making concrete progress in addressing the Agency’s outstanding questions, and in particular at resolving the issue of access to two locations in Iran."

Rouhani underlines enhanced Iran-IAEA cooperation, recent agreement

Iran hails the recent agreement between Iran and the IAEA and stresses the need for further mutual cooperation.

At the end of Grossi's two-day trip to Tehran on August 26, Iran and the UN agency issued a joint statement on their agreements and the results of high-level talks between the two sides.

Iran voluntarily grants IAEA access to two locations specified by UN agency

Iran has agreed to grant the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to two sites specified by the UN nuclear agency.

"After intensive bilateral consultations, Iran and the IAEA reached an agreement on the resolution of the safeguards implementation issues specified by the IAEA, in good faith. In this regard, Iran is voluntarily providing the IAEA with access to the two locations specified by the IAEA and facilitating the IAEA verification activities to resolve these issues," read part of the statement.

In his Monday speech, the UN nuclear agency chief also welcomed the Iran-IAEA agreement and expressed hope that it would "reinforce cooperation and enhance mutual trust."

Grossi added that the agency would continue to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material declared by Iran under its Safeguards Agreement, saying, "Evaluations regarding the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities for Iran continue."

Meanwhile, the IAEA chief told reporters after opening the Board of Governors' meeting that analyzing environmental samples collected at the first site would take "not less than a couple of months, two or three months maybe."

Iran’s permanent representative to the Vienna-based international organizations Kazem Gharibabadi said on September 4 the latest IAEA report envisaged "positive and constructive" prospects in bilateral cooperation.

New IAEA report envisages constructive prospects for cooperation with Iran: Official

In response to Washington and its unilateral withdrawal, Tehran has rowed back on its nuclear commitments five times in compliance with the JCPOA.

“In terms of content, the report has explicitly portrayed a clear image of the current status of [bilateral] cooperation and envisaged positive and constructive prospects in relations between Iran and the agency,” he told reporters.

The Iranian official said it was expected that an overwhelming majority of the IAEA member states and the Board of Governors would approve of the constructive nature of the relationship between Tehran and the agency.

Under the 2015 accord, the IAEA monitors Iran's nuclear activities and regularly updates its members through providing reports.

The visit by the IAEA head to Tehran took place over two months after the Board of Governors on June 19 passed a resolution, put forward by Britain, France and Germany – the three European signatories to the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), to push for inspections of two sites that the trio claims may have been used for undeclared nuclear activities in the early 2000s.

Iran ‘categorically’ deplores IAEA resolution, vows ‘appropriate action’

The Islamic Republic rejects any allegations of non-cooperation with the IAEA.

It was the Israeli regime’s spy service that first came up with the allegations of such activity at the two sites. Iran has, however, strictly rejected the allegations.

Read more:

• Grossi: IAEA won’t let third parties influence Iran ties
• IAEA should observe principles of impartiality, professionalism: FM Zarif
• Britain supports JCPOA as it allows improvement in Persian Gulf situation: Defense secretary
• Over 1,000 centrifuges doing enrichment work at Fordow facility: Iran nuclear chief

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