TEHRAN – UN nuclear agency chief
Rafael Grossi said Saturday he had “constructive” talks with Iranian officials who urged him not to let the body be swayed by those opposed to the Islamic Republic’s peaceful nuclear program.
The two-day visit by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief director general is hope to pave the way for the revival of a landmark 2015 agreement to bring the U.S. back to compliance and remove sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
“By having a constructive discussion, like we are having now, and having good agreements, like I am sure we are going to have, we are going to be paving the way for important agreements,” Grossi told a news conference alongside Iran’s top nuclear official Muhammad Eslami.
“We came to an arrangement (with Grossi) to define our cooperation within the framework of the safeguards,” Eslami said.
In his series of meetings with Iranian officials, Grossi met President Ebrahim Raisi who said “cooperation is a two-way street” that can continue based on maintaining the agency’s independence and the rights of the Iranian nation, the political deputy of Iran’s presidency Muhammad Jamshidi tweeted.
Grossi acknowledged that “the ill-wishers do not want bilateral cooperation between Iran and the IAEA to be successful”, adding the best answer to them is to develop bilateral cooperation, Fars news agency reported.
“In my talks with the Iranian officials, I found their will for nuclear negotiations and revival of the JCPOA to ensure the interests of the Iranian people serious, and I am sure that if there is political will, it is possible to return to the JCPOA,” Fars said in a Persian transcription of Grossi’s remarks.
“My colleagues and I had very constructive and positive meetings with the Iranian authorities and I am sure that it will be a good foundation for future interactions and as a result of this trip, cooperation will be strengthened,” he added.
Grossi described cooperation between Iran and the IAEA long-standing and positive, saying its continuation requires a continuous and high-level cooperation in order to strengthen bilateral relations.
President Raisi touched on the history of extensive cooperation between Iran and the UN nuclear body, saying the visit by IAEA officials to Iran is an indication of the strong will of the Islamic Republic to cooperate constructively with the agency.
Iran, the president said, has had the highest level of cooperation with the IAEA on the basis of good faith and loyalty to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“We expect the International Atomic Energy Agency to be completely professional in its views and do not let political powers that seek their own goals overshadow the agency’s activities,” he said.
The president touched on the necessity of using nuclear knowledge in industry, agriculture and medicine for the well-being of the people.
He said certain sides, foremost the U.S. and Israel, have been using the nuclear issue as an excuse to put more pressure on the people of Iran, even though the Zionist regime is not committed to the IAEA statute.
The United States, meanwhile, was the first violator of the nuclear agreement that withdrew from the JCPOA, Raisi said, adding the Europeans did not fulfill their obligations in the agreement either, although Iran adhered to its commitments and its adherence was confirmed more than 15 times in the IAEA’s reports.
The president said he hoped Grossi’s talks with Iranian officials during his trip to Tehran would spur the IAEA to act based on professional and fair behavior and respect the principle of neutrality and state the reality of Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities and clarify its adherence to the agency’s rules.
Grossi arrived Friday in Iran amid deadlock in negotiations on reviving the JCPOA.
His visit came after Western reports claimed that IAEA inspectors had found 84% enriched uranium in Iran - an allegation Tehran has rejected.

Eslami told reporters that the Islamic Republic is enriching uranium up to 60% fissile purity.
The Biden administration has drawn closer to Israel in recent weeks, conducting large-scale joint military exercises with the regime.
Last month, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides said “all options are on the table” against Iran and that “Israel can and should do whatever they need to deal with, and we’ve got their back.”
In a joint news conference with Iran’s top nuclear official, Grossi said any military attack on nuclear facilities is outlawed, responding to U.S. and Israeli threats to target those in Iran.
“There are two separate issues in this regard. First, attacks on nuclear power plants have unfortunately become common, and this is due to the war in Ukraine. Second, these attacks have been condemned during the Agency’s public conferences. So I think that the attack on nuclear facilities is totally condemned and illegal,” Grossi said.
Eslami called for the remaining signatories of the JCPOA, namely France, Britain, Germany along with China and Russia, to fulfill their obligations.
“Three European and some other countries are just focusing on Iran’s JCPOA obligations,” he said. “They too have obligations that they need to adhere to.”
He called on the UN nuclear agency to avoid being swayed by those who aim to hinder cooperation between the two sides.
“We must be able to resolve issues in a trustful manner and prevent the entry and penetration of the elements and agents whose purpose is to disrupt a normal and professional relationship,” he added.
Grossi claimed that his “agency has never been used as a political tool and will never be used”, reflecting on observations that the IAEA’s reports on Iran are often based on feedback provided by the US, Israel and others.
“We did not work under the instructions of any country and we have a Board of Governors that reviews our performance. We do not act on the words of others and it is necessary to talk and cooperate with each other.”
In June 2022, Grossi paid a brief visit to Israel ahead of the agency’s Board of Governors meeting which passed a resolution, drafted by the U.S. and its allies, which accused Iran of not cooperating on “three undeclared sites”. Tehran said it had answered all questions about the sites and the IAEA had been convinced.
“It is necessary and important that Iran and the agency have close relations, and the more these relations are on the part of Iran, the others cannot interfere with their influence. This shows that it is important for us to work together,” Grossi said Saturday.
Eslami called on the IAEA to prepare for a sort of interaction, by which the agency “can always maintain its duties toward Iran’s nuclear program within the framework of the Safeguards Agreement”.
He touched on Iran’s scientific research and nuclear technology capabilities, saying the country is ready to share its achievements with other countries.
Grossi said talks were ongoing with Iran on two sets of important matters including the science sector, and there was “great expectation” about the process.
“Globally speaking, there are two sets of matters that are important. Clearly, there is great expectation about our joint work in order to move forward in the issues that Iran and the agency are working on, to clarify and to bring credible assurances about the nuclear program in Iran,” he said.
“The second set of issues, which is very important, has to do with scientific, technical cooperation we are having and will continue to have with Iran,” he added.
Grossi met later on Saturday with Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian, official news agency IRNA reported.
The IAEA chief said it was an “issue of necessity to have a very deep, serious systematic dialogue with Iran”.
“This is why I am here. It’s been too long,” he said, adding he would “judge our degree of satisfaction at the end of the day”.
Ahead of Grossi’s arrival, spokesman for Iran’s nuclear energy agency Behrouz Kamalvandi said, “It is hoped that this trip will form the basis for greater cooperation and a clearer horizon between Iran and the IAEA.”