Iran talks ‘avert’ impact of nuclear inspection deadline

Iran talks ‘avert’ impact of nuclear inspection deadline, BBC News 22 Feb 20, Iran and the global nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, have agreed to temporary measures to offset Iran’s decision to restrict access to inspectors.

These would enable the agency to retain the “necessary degree of monitoring and verification work”, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said, without going into detail.

The move comes ahead of a deadline set by Iran to stop intrusive checks of sites unless US sanctions are lifted………

Iran nuclear crisis: The basics

Iran has nuclear power: But some countries have long suspected that it also has secret ambitions to build a nuclear bomb – Iran denies this.

So a deal was struck: In 2015 a major agreement between Iran and six other countries meant Iran accepted limits on its nuclear activities in return for an end to harsh penalties, or sanctions, that hurt its economy.

What is the problem now? Iran restarted banned nuclear activities after former US President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal and restored sanctions. Even though President Joe Biden wants to rejoin, both sides say the other must be the first to change course.

Has the crisis now eased?

The “temporary technical” arrangement reached between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) “salvages the situation”, Mr Grossi told reporters on Sunday after a visit to Iran.

“We were able to retain the necessary degree of monitoring and verification work,” he said, without elaborating, but added: “There is less access [to Iranian sites], let’s face it.”

Under the plan, for the next three months Iran would hold recordings from monitoring equipment installed at sites by the IAEA but would not release the information unless sanctions were lifted within that timeframe, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) said. If sanctions remained, the data would be erased, it added.

Cameras and other apparatus have been put in place by the IAEA to help verify that Iran does not carry out nuclear activities prohibited under the deal.

However, Iran and the US are at loggerheads over the removal of sanctions. Washington insists Tehran must return to full compliance with the 2015 deal first, while Tehran says that will only happen once sanctions are lifted.

‘This deal buys some precious time’

Analysis by Paul Adams, BBC Diplomatic correspondent

The IAEA’s boss, Rafael Grossi, called this “a good result”.

It certainly seems likely to defuse a mounting sense of crisis surrounding Iran’s nuclear activities and efforts to breathe new life into the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.

Crucially, it significantly reduces the impact of a new Iranian law, due to come into effect on Tuesday, which would have seriously hampered the IAEA’s ability to do its work.

Iran will still suspend implementation of the so-called Additional Protocol, which gives the IAEA substantially enhanced tools with which to carry out inspections.

But Mr Grossi clearly believes the “temporary bilateral technical understanding” reached after talks in Tehran this weekend will allow his inspectors to continue doing their job to a satisfactory degree…………. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56030497

February 23, 2021 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics international

No comments yet.

nuclear-news

The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope