TEHRAN – Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi met with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano in Vienna on Monday.

According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, the two discussed Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA under the 2015 nuclear accord, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Araqchi was on his first leg of a European tour, with Austria, Slovakia, and Bulgaria on agenda.

According to the IRIB, Araqchi was slated to meet with his counterparts, foreign ministers, and other officials during his trip to these countries.

Earlier the day, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi dismissed speculation that Araqchi’s trip had anything to do with a European financial mechanism that is aimed at bypassing U.S. sanctions on Iran.

Called the special purpose vehicle (SPV), the system was set to be registered on Monday.

President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. unilaterally from the 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018 and ordered sanctions against Iran. 

The first round of sanctions went into force on August 6, and the second round, which targets Iran’s oil exports and banks, were imposed on November 4.

SP/PA