TEHRAN – The spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization urged Western signatories to the JCPOA to meet their obligations in order to end the stalemate surrounding the nuclear deal.

On Wednesday, Behrouz Kamalvandi met with a senior Italian foreign ministry official to discuss Tehran's concerns regarding the commitments of some parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), particularly the Western ones. 

The meeting, held in Vienna on the sidelines of the 68th IAEA General Conference, offered Kamalvandi an opportunity to address Iran's stance and expectations for Italy to communicate them during European meetings.

During the discussion, Kamalvandi emphasized Iran's transparency in its nuclear program, noting the nation's extensive IAEA inspections. 

The Italian official recognized the historical ties between Tehran and Rome and reiterated Italy's commitment to a policy of détente, offering assurances that Italy would relay Iran's position in European meetings.

The 68th IAEA General Conference is an annual gathering of representatives from the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) member states, held at the Vienna International Centre (VIC) in Vienna, Austria. 

This year, the event took place from September 16 to 20, 2024, providing a platform for high-ranking officials and experts to discuss important matters related to nuclear energy, safety, security, and non-proliferation.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly referred to as the Iran nuclear deal, is an international agreement signed in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 countries (China, France, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Germany), along with the European Union. 

The 2015 deal limits Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the termination of sanctions. The JCPOA was scrapped by Washington in 2018, and shunned by its European signatories in the following years. Iran gradually scaled back on some of its commitments after multiple calls on Western states to return to the deal fell on deaf ears.