IAEA chief in Tehran amid nuclear deal standoff

The IAEA's chief is in Iran for a one-day visit, before the quarterly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors next week, with efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

Director-General Rafael Grossi held talks with head of Iran’s nuclear agency, Mohammad Eslami.

Grossi is on his second trip to Iran this year.

At a joint press conference after the meeting, Eslami described the negotiations centering on technical issues as “constructive” and said “confidence-building” is what matters for Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog.

“Today, Rafael Grossi came to Tehran at the invitation of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and we had good and constructive talks with him,” Eslami told reporters at the presser. “The negotiations were held in a spirit of cooperation to create opportunities for enhanced interactions within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s rules and regulations.”

The head of the AEOI said all issues between Iran and the agency are technical, rather than political, adding the two sides decided to continue their talks in an upcoming meeting.

Eslami said Grossi will visit Tehran again in the “near future,” and added that the IAEA’s technical team will also come to Iran to make necessary arrangements for the replacement of surveillance camera memory cards in accordance with the Safeguards Agreement.