The deputy head of the International Atomic Energy Agency is headed to Iran on Monday, the first visit by an official from the top nuclear watchdog since the United States bombed three of the regime’s nuclear sites in June.
The aim of the IAEA’s visit is to “determine a framework for cooperation” after Iran suspended its ties with the watchdog in early July, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on Sunday.
That earlier move from Iran, which came after after the 12-Day War with Israel devastated the regime’s top military brass and U.S. strikes set back its nuclear ambitions, has effectively kept its nuclear program in the dark. Shortly before that decision, the regime also banned the head of the IEAE Rafael Grossi from its nuclear sites and removed surveillance cameras from them.
While the scheduled Monday visit signals Iran is willing to reopen lines of communication with the nuclear watchdog, Araghchi was clear that it will not include any inspection of its nuclear sites.
“A deputy director general of Grossi will come to Tehran tomorrow, while there are no plans to visit any nuclear sites until we reach a framework,” he said.
Iran previously reached a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in its war with Israel in late June, just days after the U.S.’s bombing of the nuclear sites.
While the ceasefire remains, the regime has left the door open for a broader peace deal in the Middle East.
In early July, Araghchi laid out a condition for his country to reengage in talks that derailed just before the summer.
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“In order for us to decide to reengage, we will have to first ensure that America will not revert back to targeting us in a military attack during the negotiations. And I think with all these considerations, we still need more time,” he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has previously not appeared willing to reenter negotiations with the regime, saying in late June that he would to be offering Iran “anything” while also trashing former President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal, which the U.S. withdrew from in 2018.