The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran have agreed to continue cooperation and bridge differences within the framework of the relevant international agreements, according to President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami on Tuesday.
Eslami made the statement at a joint press conference with Rafael Grossi, visiting director general of the IAEA, following their meeting earlier in the day in the central Iranian province of Isfahan.
Eslami said the IAEA should remain unaffected by external "political influence and pressures" and play a professional role.
In addition, on the sixth anniversary of the United States' withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Eslami once again emphasized Iran's position on the issue.
"Iran did not withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. It was the U.S. that tore up the deal and failed to fulfill its responsibilities and did not allow other countries to cooperate on it," said Eslami.
Also speaking at the press conference, Grossi said that the IAEA has engaged in thorough and constructive discussions with Iran, charting a roadmap for future cooperation. Both sides will continue to collaborate and engage in dialogue, while earnestly addressing remaining differences, according to Grossi.
Grossi emphasized that the IAEA will fulfill its responsibilities to play a role in promoting the return of the nuclear deal to the right track.
"We need to work together in order to be in a better place, in order to put things back on track, in order to facilitate as well return to wider agreements in the form of the JCPOA or any other form that Iran may wish to agree," he said.
Grossi arrived in Iran on Monday to attend an international nuclear conference and meet a number of the country's high-ranking officials.
Iran signed the JCPOA with world powers in July 2015, accepting restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions. However, the United States withdrew from the agreement in May 2018, reinstating sanctions and prompting Iran to scale back some of its nuclear commitments.
Efforts to revive the JCPOA commenced in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria, but despite multiple rounds of negotiations, no substantial progress has been reported since the last talks in August 2022.
IAEA, Iran agree to continue cooperation, bridge differences
IAEA, Iran agree to continue cooperation, bridge differences
