Grossi claims no progress made in Iran nuclear talks

Raphael Grossi in an interview with Vatican Media claimed, “The negotiations have broken down, there are many meetings and exchanges and that is why the Agency — and I personally — do not want to leave this political vacuum around such a volatile and dangerous issue.”

“There are two parallel paths: that of the overall agreement, the so-called JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action); and also the bilateral negotiation between the Agency and Iran. We have not been able to make progress,” he added.

Referring to the progress of Iran’s nuclear program, Grossi claimed, “Iran, at the same time, is making progress: progress in the process of uranium enrichment, [and] in the development and construction of more and more advanced centrifuges. This is really worrying because, of course, these are steps towards proliferation, while we have to avoid it.”

“I hope I can go to Tehran. I always say that the Agency is a place of agreement, a space, a platform for mutual understanding. So I am ready to travel and start again, if possible, as soon as possible,” the IAEA chief added.

In the past years, the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeated some of the claims made by the Israeli regime against Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran considered these claims to be fake and has strongly rejected them.

Iranian officials have emphasized that Tehran has given detailed answers to the questions raised by the International Atomic Energy Agency, but the agency bases its reports on information received from Iran’s adversaries.

MNA/