IAEA: Iran talks suspended after Raisi’s death – World

VIENNA: Planned talks between Iran and the United Nations nuclear watchdog to break the impasse over Tehran’s nuclear program have been put on hold following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, an agency report said on Monday.

The temporary suspension of talks between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) came after its chief Rafael Grossi reiterated his concern about public statements by Iran regarding its nuclear weapons capabilities.

In the report, Grossi said: “Further public statements by Iran … regarding its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons and possible changes to Iran’s nuclear doctrine only … increase concerns about the accuracy and completeness of Iran’s security statements.”

Iran has always denied any ambitions to develop nuclear weapons and insisted that its activities are purely peaceful. Earlier this month, Grossi visited Iran to improve cooperation with Tehran and urged leaders to take “concrete” steps to address concerns about the country’s nuclear program.

After returning from his trip, Grossi lamented the “completely unsatisfactory” cooperation with Tehran and said he would like to see “results soon”.

Exceeding deal limits

But the death of Iranian President Raisi, his Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six others in a helicopter crash on May 19 has further complicated the situation.

A day after the helicopter crash, Iran indicated that due to the “special circumstances” it was no longer appropriate to hold substantive talks and that a new date would be set, a confidential report said on Monday.

In view of the presidential elections scheduled for the end of June, Grossi reiterated “his call for the continuation of negotiations and his willingness to continue”.

At the same time, Iran has significantly expanded its nuclear program and now has enough material to build several nuclear bombs.

In a separate confidential report ahead of a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors next week, the agency said Iran’s estimated stockpile of enriched uranium had reached more than 30 times the limit set in the 2015 agreement.

According to the report, Iran’s total stockpiles of enriched uranium as of May 11 stood at 6,201.3 kilograms, up 675.8 kilograms from the last quarterly report in February.

Tensions between Iran and the IAEA have flared up since a 2015 deal limiting Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief collapsed. EU-brokered efforts to revive the deal and bring the US back on board have so far been unsuccessful.

Published in Dawn, May 28, 2024