IAEA chief to visit Iran this week seeking 'concrete progress' in inspections standoff
UN atomic-agency boss Rafael Grossi says he will travel to Iran on August 24 to seek "concrete progress" in a dispute between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Tehran over nuclear "safeguards" and blocked inspections in Iran.
It will be Director-General Grossi's first trip to Iran since taking over leadership of the agency eight months ago and comes amid a mounting standoff between the IAEA and Tehran over access to two sites where nuclear activities might have occurred - with the United States pressing for reimposing UN nuclear-related sanctions against Tehran.
"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 of the trip.
Grossi has accused Iran of denying access to the two locations for six months, and said that for almost a year "it has not engaged in substantive discussions to clarify our questions related to possible undeclared nuclear material and nuclear-related activities."
"We need this cooperation," Grossi said at the time. "I regret that at this point we have this disagreement."
At: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-nuclear-grossi-iconcrete-progress-inspections/30797106.html
IAEA Director Rafael Grossi.
The Argentine-born Grossi - the first IAEA head from Latin America - has pressed Iran for access to two known nuclear sites since taking office in December.
