Iran to host IAEA team amid satellite test
Iran has agreed to allow a technical team from the U.N. nuclear watchdog to visit in the coming weeks to discuss relations between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Tehran, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said.
The IAEA had no specific comment on his remarks, but said IAEA chief Rafael Grossi was "actively engaging with all parties involved in the Iran nuclear issue."
The IAEA has said it is essential for it to be able to resume inspections in Iran following air strikes by Israel and the U.S. last month that aimed to destroy the country's nuclear program in a bid to stop Tehran building a nuclear weapon.
Tehran denies seeking a nuclear weapon and says its nuclear program is solely meant for civilian purposes.
Gharibabadi said he would travel to Istanbul to meet with Britain, France and Germany. They, along with China and Russia, are the remaining parties to a 2015 nuclear deal that the U.S. quit in 2018. Under the deal, sanctions on Iran were eased in return for restrictions on its nuclear program.
Meanwhile Iran has successfully conducted a test of its latest Qased satellite launch rocket, marking its first such trial since a ceasefire ended a 12-day war with Israel in June—a conflict that also saw U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear-linked sites.
The rocket launch comes amid heightened scrutiny of Iran's missile program and rising security threats in the Middle East. Iran's state news agency described the launch as an effort to "assess some emerging new technologies" and improve the performance of future satellite systems.
The test carries potential global ramifications, particularly for international efforts to monitor missile-related developments in Iran.
By conducting a space launch so soon after a major conflict, Tehran has introduced a new variable into an already tense regional environment. Some Western governments have previously linked Iran's space program to ballistic missile advancement, and this latest test is expected to factor into ongoing diplomatic discussions, including those related to Iran's nuclear program.
