TEHRAN(Bazaar) – Tariq Raouf, former Director General of the Atomic Energy Agency says Given the recent protest in Iran; the US has indicated that there can no negotiations with Iran on the JCPOA or any other matters.
He adds that the EU would like to resume the negotiations but are powerless against the US.
Following is the text of the Bazaar interview with Tariq Raouf.
Q: The International Atomic Energy Agency team is going to travel to Iran with the aim of dealing with the remaining safeguards issues. What is your assessment of this trip?
A: Unless AEOI provides additional technical information on the remaining outstanding questions by the IAEA regarding Varamin, Marivan and Turquzabad; the IAEA shall keep these questions open. AEOI could call for a re-analysis of the anthropogenic uranium particles said to be found at three locations in Iran and that such analysis also include analysis at a university laboratory in Iran along with IAEA technical staff and that Iranian scientific experts be present at the analysis to be carried out at IAEA safeguards laboratory at Seibersdorf. In my view this is now essential and should be part of a new work plan.
Q: A European diplomat told Al-Monitor reporter that this trip is good in principle, but Westerners do not expect any progress from it. If we evaluate this comment correctly, what does the sending of this team by the agency mean?
A: The IAEA Director General is mandated by the Board of Governors resolution adopted in November 2022 to work with Iran to resolve the three unresolved safeguards questions, as such he is obligated to continue to pursue the matter with Iran. In my view, unless the recommendation noted in #1 above is made under a new IAEA-AEOI work plan, no progress can be made.
Q: What is your assessment of the future of the negotiations and how probable do you consider the start of the negotiations at the moment?
A: Given the repression of women protestors in Iran, the aggression of the security forces and the prison and death sentences in Iran; the US has indicated that there can no negotiations with Iran on the JCPOA or any other matters. The EU would like to resume the negotiations but are powerless against the US. The government in Iran is weakened by the protests and has badly mishandled matters and thus cannot expect progress on nuclear and sanctions matters unless Tehran changes course.
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