TEHRAN – A delegation from the UN nuclear watchdog is expected to arrive in Iran in the next few days in what appears to be another chance offered by Iran to the West to redress their past misbehavior.

The visit comes amid a deadlock in both the talks over reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and the negotiations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over a safeguards probe. 

Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), has expressed hope the trip of the IAEA delegation would set Tehran and the Agency on a path to resolve the current outstanding issues. 

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Eslami voiced hope the upcoming visit of the International Atomic Energy officials to Tehran in the coming days can help resolve issues with the Agency. 

He said, “Our interactions with the Agency are underway and we hope a step forward be taken in the direction of addressing ambiguities and obstacles with the Agency.”

The IAEA probe has dampened hopes for a breakthrough in Vienna as Iran said it is political and that needs to be addressed before a deal is reached on the 2015 nuclear pact, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The IAEA probe centers around nuclear materials allegedly found at three Iranian sites previously undeclared to the Agency. The probe was launched after Israel alleged that it found the sites in the nuclear documents it spirited away from Iran. Iran and the IAEA have got into a detailed discussion about the alleged materials. Iran offered answers to the questions raised by the IAEA in that regard but the IAEA, together with some Western powers, claimed that Iran’s answers were not technically credible. 

The Vienna talks over the JCPOA came to a standstill in the meantime, with Iran trying to reach a good and fair deal in Vienna and the West prioritizing the IAEA probe over the Vienna talks. 

The upcoming visit to the IAEA offers an opportunity for the West to mend its ways and pave the way for a resolution to both issues. Pundits believe that if the West fails to seize on this opportunity, it will face difficulty dealing with Iran as Iran’s nuclear program will continue to gallop ahead. 

On Saturday, Eslami revealed part of this leap, saying Iran’s enrichment capacity is now twice the total capacity Iran earned since the inception of its nuclear program. 

The capacity for the enrichment of uranium in Iran is currently twice as high as the total capacity since the genesis of the nuclear industry in the country, Tasnim quoted Eslami as saying. 

In a meeting with a group of Iranian lawmakers on Saturday, Eslami lauded the Parliament for passing the ‘strategic action’ for lifting of the sanctions and safeguarding the national interests, saying the law has contributed to the development of Iran’s nuclear industry, according to Tasnim.

He said the implementation of the parliamentary action has increased the level of uranium enrichment in such a way that the capacity for enrichment in Iran is currently more than twice as high as that of the whole history of the nuclear industry in the country.

Eslami also stated that a comprehensive document has been devised for the development of industries and creation of domestic capacities in various industries of the country.

Nearly two weeks ago, Eslami broke ground on a nuclear plant in Darokhvein, Khuzestan. The 300 MW nuclear plant which has long been in the planning stage is known as the Karoun plant and is located in the small city of Darokhvein on the outskirt of Shadegan County.

Upon completion, the Karoun plant will be a pressurized water reactor (PWR) that will be fueled with 4 percent uranium and will supply the region with electricity, according to Iran’s state news IRNA.

It is expected to cost $2 billion, IRNA said.