Confirming some reports on possible Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi visit to Tehran, Head of Media, Multimedia and Public Outreach Section and Spokesperson Fredrik Dahl told Mehr News agency, "Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi on Tuesday informed Member States about recent developments related to the IAEA’s verification and monitoring activities in Iran under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).In a report to the Member States, Director-General Grossi said Iran informed the IAEA on 15 February that the country will stop implementing voluntary transparency measures under the JCPOA as of 23 February, including the Additional Protocol."
Dahl noted, "Director-General Grossi has offered to travel to Iran in order to find a mutually agreeable solution for the Agency to continue essential verification work. The Director-General is continuing to consult with Iran."
Another informed source also told Mehr News that Grossi's visit to Iran will probably take place on Saturday next week.
Iran’s permanent ambassador to the International Organizations in Vienna Kazem Gharibabadi on Monday said that Iran has informed the IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of its suspension of the country’s voluntary actions under the JCPOA from February 23, 2021.
The measure is based on the Strategic Action Plan approved by Iran’s parliament and due to the lack of commitment of other JCPOA signatories to lift sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, he added.
After the illegitimate US exit from the JCPOA in May 2018, the three European signatories to the deal remained indifferent to making up for Iran’s losses.
Amid the Europeans’ lack of action, Iran took five steps to reduce its commitments to the deal while vowing that it will reverse the course as soon as the other parties live up to their commitments under the accord.
Recently, the Iranian parliament passed a bill, dubbed the Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions in early last December, setting a Feb. 21 deadline for Biden to lift the US sanctions. Otherwise, Iran will halt inspections of its nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and further boost uranium enrichment.
Iran has so far resumed 20% uranium enrichment at Fordow plant in accordance with the Parliament’s legislation and has warned that in the case Washington does not remove all the anti-Iran illegitimate sanctions, it will also stop voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol, which gives IAEA inspectors unannounced visits to Iranian facilities.
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