Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are “very close” to finalizing a new framework for bilateral cooperation, according to the Xinhua news agency.
The remarks were made on Saturday during a conference in Tehran, where Araghchi addressed the future of Iran’s engagement with the UN nuclear watchdog and the outcome of recent talks held in Vienna.
“As far as I know, good negotiations have been held and we are very close to arriving at a new cooperation framework with the agency itself,” Araghchi stated.
The minister emphasized that any agreement must reflect Iran’s national concerns, “which have been specifically reflected in the parliament's law.” That law, passed overwhelmingly following recent military escalations, restricts IAEA access to Iranian nuclear sites unless the Supreme National Security Council certifies both site security and respect for Iranian sovereignty.
Araghchi also commented on the stalled nuclear negotiations with the United States, noting that indirect communication continues via mediators.
“The day the Americans come to the conclusion that they have the readiness for negotiations based on common interests and mutual respect, we will also be ready to begin dialogue,” he said.
The sixth round of indirect nuclear talks between Iran and the US was scheduled for June 15 in Oman but was suspended after Israel launched major airstrikes on June 13, targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities. The United States followed with its own strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites on June 22, prompting Tehran’s legislative response to curtail cooperation with the IAEA.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared recently that tensions with the United States are “unsolvable” and vowed the Islamic Republic would never submit to American demands.
“The Iranian nation will stand with all of its power against those who have such erroneous expectations,” Khamenei stated, adding, “They want Iran to be obedient to America.”
Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, declared last week that the door to nuclear negotiations with the United States remains open, but Washington’s insistence on missile restrictions is blocking progress.