Iran cannot completely cut cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, its foreign minister said on Wednesday, after passage of a law requiring high-level security approval for future inspections of its nuclear sites.
International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors have been unable to access Iran’s nuclear installations since Israel and the U.S. bombed them during a 12-day war in June, despite IAEA chief Rafael Grossi stating that inspections remain essential.
Last month, Iran’s parliament passed legislation suspending cooperation with the IAEA and stipulating that any future inspections will need a green light from Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Parliament acted after the Islamic Republic accused the IAEA of effectively paving the way for the Israel-U.S. attacks with a report on May 31 that led the agency’s Board of Governors to declare Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.
Still, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, in remarks carried by state media on Wednesday, said Tehran “cannot completely cut our cooperation with the agency…Therefore, inspectors must be there to get this work done”.
He did not elaborate. Araqchi spoke two days after a foreign ministry spokesperson said Iran would continue talks with the IAEA and they would probably have another round of negotiations in the coming days.
Responding to a question about resuming talks with Washington, Araqchi said negotiations needed to reach “maturity”. A sixth round of talks between Tehran and Washington was suspended after the Israeli and U.S. strikes in June.