CAIRO (AP) – Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency signed an agreement on Tuesday to open a way to resume cooperation in Cairo.
The announcement followed a meeting between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatti, his Iranian counterpart Abbas Aragci and Director of the International Atomic Energy Bureau, Rafael Grossi.
Although no further details have been provided about the contract, Grossi said at a joint press conference after signing it was technical in nature and highlighted the “essential” testing work that needs to be reopened in Iran under the Nuclear Weapons Treaty.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” Grossi said.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the agreement followed a “intensive” diplomatic effort by the country. And Egypt’s President Abdel Fatta El-Sisi pointed out on Tuesday that the IAEA plays a major role in supporting nuclear non-proliferation clauses, emphasizing the rights of nuclear treaty states to the peaceful use of atomic energy.
On July 2, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a law adopted by his country’s parliament, which halted all cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog. It followed a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June, during which Israel and the United States struck Iran’s nuclear site.
The only site inspected by the IAEA since the war was the Bucher nuclear power plant, operated with technical assistance in Russia. Inspectors watched the fuel change procedure at the factory for two days starting August 27th.
Iran’s foreign minister, Araguchi, told reporters that the agreement addressed his country’s concerns and security challenges and set technical requirements for cooperation with the IAEA. However, he warned that Tehran would consider it to have ended its agreement with the IAEA if “hostile conduct” occurs against Iran, including a re-challenging of UN sanctions.
The meeting came at a sensitive time as France, Germany and the UK began the process on August 28th Re-imulating sanctions against Iran About what they deemed Iran to violate a 2015 agreement aimed at preventing the development of nuclear weapons.
The process, called “snapback” by diplomats who negotiated its nuclear deal with Iran’s 2015 world power, was designed to maintain a veto power at the United Nations and could take effect in a month.
The move has a 30-day clock on resuming sanctions unless the West and Iran reach a diplomatic agreement.
European countries say they are willing to extend the deadline if Iran resumes direct negotiations with the US on a nuclear program, allowing UN nuclear inspectors to access nuclear sites and explains more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, which the UN Watchdog says.
Later Tuesday, major European Union officials carefully welcomed the latest developments.
“Today’s framework agreement to resume testing of Iran’s nuclear facilities could mark a key step in nuclear diplomacy, if implemented quickly by Iran,” EU foreign policy director Kaja Karas wrote in a post in X, adding that he spoke to both the IAEA chief and the Iranian foreign minister.
IAEA inspectors have failed to verify Iran’s near bomb grade stockpile since the start of the war on June 13th.
As of June 13, Iran said 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium had enriched up to 60%, according to a confidential report by the Vienna-based IAEA.
According to IAEA calculations, when enriched to 90%, uranium is sufficient to create 10 nuclear weapons, but creating an actual weapon requires other expertise, such as the addition of explosive devices.
According to Iran’s safeguard agreement with the United Nations Nuclear Watch Agency, Iran is obligated to produce “special reports” following events such as attacks and earthquakes, detailing the location and status of nuclear material, including highly enriched uranium stockpiles.
Egypt is Iran IAEA.
The relationship between Iran and the nuclear watchdog is 12 Days of Air Force In June, Iran’s major nuclear facilities were bombed. The IAEA committee said on June 12 that Iran violated its non-proliferation obligations a day before Israeli airstrikes on Iran, which caused the war.
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