Iran’s IAEA envoy: Extra-ordinary cooperation may be no longer on agenda
TEHRAN- Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna, has warned about a possible change in the level of cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Gharibabadi's remarks came in response to the conditions set by the new U.S. administration for returning to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the common name for the 2015 nuclear deal.
Antony Blinken, the new U.S. secretary of state, has said the United States will only return to the nuclear deal once Tehran meets its commitments.
In a tweet, Gharibabadi wrote, "Cooperation and good-will are two-way streets NOT a one-way boulevard. The new law of the parliament has given also another chance to maintain the extremely unprecedented and impressive cooperation with the IAEA by removing the sanctions."
In another tweet, he asserted, “Let's hope to see the opportunities won't be missed and the extra-ordinary cooperation is not back to ordinary.”
On his first day as the top U.S. diplomat, Blinken confirmed President Joe Biden's willingness to return to the accord rejected by his predecessor but refused to accept Iran’s demand from the U.S. to act first.
“Iran is out of compliance on a number of fronts. And it would take some time, should it make the decision to do so, for it to come back into compliance and time for us then to assess whether it was meeting its obligations,” Blinken told a news conference on Wednesday.
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, has urged the U.S. rejoin the deal first by lifting economic and financial sanctions.
EE/PA
Leave a Comment