Hope for nuclear deal as Iran softens stance

Tehran agrees to prolong monitoring by granting IAEA access to equipment

Iran played its cards well. The promise to continue high-level discussions on the outstanding issues managed to deflate the pressure for a resolution, even if what Grossi brought back from Tehran was pitifully little.”

Western powers yesterday scrapped plans for a resolution criticising Iran at the UN atomic watchdog after Tehran agreed to prolong monitoring of some nuclear activities, even though the watchdog said Iran made no “promise” on another key issue.

The decision by the US, France, Britain and Germany not to push for a resolution at this week’s meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors avoids an escalation with Iran that could have killed hopes of resuming wider talks on reviving the nuclear deal.

During a last-minute visit to Tehran this weekend by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, Iran agreed to grant his agency overdue access to its equipment in Iran that monitors some sensitive areas of its nuclear programme. Inspectors will swap out memory cards more than two weeks after they were due to be replaced.

Vienna-based diplomat on IAEA agreement

‘I did not get any promise on uranium traces’

Grossi said on Sunday that the agreement solved “the most urgent issue” between the IAEA and Iran. He made clear yesterday, however, that on another source of concern — Iran’s failure to explain uranium traces found at several old but undeclared sites — he had obtained no firm commitments.

“I did not receive any promise,” Grossi told a news conference when asked about the uranium traces, the first of which were found more than two years ago at a site in Tehran that Iran has described as a carpet-cleaning facility.

“What I said there ... is that I need to have a clear conversation with the new government about this,” he added.

Indirect talks between Iran and the US stopped in June, days after Ebrahim Raisi was elected president. Western powers have called on Iran to return to negotiations, saying time is running out, while Raisi has said Iran is willing to, but without Western “pressure”.

“Iran played its cards well,” one Vienna-based diplomat said. “The promise to continue high-level discussions on the outstanding issues managed to deflate the pressure for a resolution, even if what Grossi brought back from Tehran was pitifully little.”