The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran says any potential visit by the head of the UN nuclear watchdog to the country needs to have a specific objective. 

“This trip needs preparations and content and the aims and schedule of this trip should be determined,” Mohammad Eslami said.

He was referring to remarks by Rafael Grossi last week that said he wanted to go to Iran in February for “much-needed dialogue” over the resumption of Tehran’s cooperation with the agency on its nuclear activities. 

Grossi claimed that the suspension of the JCPOA revival talks and Iran’s move to reduce its nuclear commitments – including disconnecting dozens of IAEA cameras monitoring its nuclear sites – meant that the IAEA could no longer effectively monitor Iran’s nuclear program. 

He also touched on an IAEA investigation into what the agency terms as the presence of uranium particles in several undeclared sites in Iran, and accused Tehran of failing to provide explanations about such traces.   

Iran has rejected the probe, saying it’s based on false evidence provided to the IAEA by the Israeli regime. 

Iran committed to its obligations  

Elsewhere in his remarks, Eslami said the West is waging a psychological warfare operation accusing Iran of failing to honor its commitments under the JCPOA, but the fact is that Iran has left none of its commitment unmet. 

Eslami added that Iran is committed to its obligations under the JCPOA and the nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty (NPT), as verified in numerous inspections of its nuclear facilities by the UN agency. 

“The agency has carried out around two-thousand inspections [of countries’ nuclear facilities] between 2020 and 2022, and over these three years, five hundred inspections — that is one quarter of all inspections — were conducted in Iran,” he said. 

“They still feel concerned [about Iran’s nuclear work] and this shows their language is the one used by enemies and aimed at a sabotage operation, [but] we won’t be affected by them,” he noted.

He stressed that Israel’s influence over the IAEA and hostile moves against Iran over its nuclear work must end. 

Iran rolled back its compliance with the 2015 nuclear accord after the US unilaterally withdrew from the pact and reimposed sanctions on Iran. 

Tehran and the remaining signatories to the pact have held talks on reviving the accord since April 2021, after Joe Biden came to power in the US. But those talks have been stalled for months. 

Iran says an agreement on the revival of the deal hinges on the settlement of issues between Tehran and the IAEA, as well as the removal of all US sanctions on the country.