VIENNA (AUSTRIA) – Head of the UN nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi will visit Iran for the first time on Monday to put pressure on Tehran to provide inspectors access to two suspected former nuclear sites.
In June, the board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency passed a resolution to put pressure on Iran to allow inspectors into the two sites under suspicion that they could still hold undeclared nuclear weapons.
“My objective is that my meetings in Tehran will lead to concrete progress in addressing the outstanding questions that the Agency has related to safeguards in Iran and, in particular, to resolve the issue of access,” Grossi said.
Grossi is slated to meet “high-level Iranian authorities”. According to diplomats in Vienna, the deadlock over granting access to inspectors will be solved before the next meeting of the Board of Governors meeting in September.
“We hope this visit will lead to reinforced mutual cooperation,” said Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Kazem Gharibabadi.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
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