Iran says no IAEA access to bombed nuclear sites without a ‘concrete deal’ in place

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday adopted a resolution that called on Iran to provide it with access and information regarding its nuclear programme, as required under UN resolutions. The vote came a day after the head of the United Nations global nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, renewed his call for Tehran to allow inspections at key nuclear sites attacked by Israel and the United States in June. Israel attacked Iran on June 13, a day after the IAEA found Iran noncompliant with its commitments to international nuclear safeguards. The 12-day war killed more than 1,000 people and inflicted damage estimated at billions of dollars in Iran.

“Iran must … provide the Agency without delay with precise information on nuclear material accountancy and safeguarded nuclear facilities in Iran, and grant the Agency all access it requires to verify this information,” said the test of the draft resolution that was passed with 19 votes in favour, three against and 12 abstentions. Russia, China and Niger were the three countries that voted against the resolution.

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Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the IAEA would not be given access to Iranian nuclear sites attacked during its recent war with Israel without a concrete deal being agreed upon.

“The facilities that were attacked have their own story, and until a decision is made and a conclusion is reached between us, the IAEA and others, cooperation is not possible,” he said in an interview posted to his Telegram channel on Thursday.

The interview with the Khabar Online news agency was conducted before the IAEA adopted a resolution demanding access to the sites.

After the 12-day war, Tehran suspended its cooperation with the IAEA and restricted the watchdog’s inspectors from accessing the bombed sites, accusing it of bias and failing to condemn the strikes.

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“The fact that they came and attacked and left... and now the agency comes to prepare a report for them on where [was attacked] and what happened and how much damage was done is not possible, it is clearly not wise,” he added.

In September, Iran and the IAEA agreed on a new cooperation framework, but weeks later Tehran deemed it invalid after Britain, France and Germany triggered the return of UN sanctions that had been lifted under a now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal.

Since the war, Iran has often said that it is open to restarting talks, but only if they take place on “equal footing”.

“Negotiating about missiles, for example, to reduce them, to reduce their range, to reduce their number, there is no greater betrayal than this,” he said.