Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) speaking to Rudaw on September 23, 2024. Photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The international community and Iran need a “solid framework” to stabilize the situation regarding Tehran’s nuclear program, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said on Monday, adding that the agency continues its inspections in the country.
“it is obvious for everybody that we need to make sure that we stabilize the situation and to stabilize the situation, we need some framework,” the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi told Rudaw’s Diyar Kurda on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
“You can call it like the previous agreement, you can give it another name, but I think everybody is in agreement that to say that we need a solid framework to make sure that everything goes well,” he added.
Under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran agreed to curb its nuclear enrichment program in exchange for much-needed relief from crippling sanctions.
But the deal began unraveling in 2018, when Washington, under former president Donald Trump’s administration, unilaterally withdrew from the accord and re-imposed sanctions on the Islamic republic, which in turn began stepping up its nuclear enrichment efforts.
Tehran, however, has repeatedly denied that it seeks to develop an atomic bomb, saying that such a move goes against the Islamic Republic’s doctrine.
Grossi said he hopes Iran does not “have any role in nuclear weapons,” adding that the IAEA works with Iran “to make sure their nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.”
Grossi noted that he is scheduled to meet the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday, adding that the continuation of the watchdog’s inspection works in Iran was expected to be one of the topics of discussion.
Details of the meetings are yet to be known.
The theme for this year’s week-long general assembly is "Leaving no one behind: acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations.”
The annual gathering of world leaders is happening as conflicts rage in Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, and Sudan, and the world is failing to meet emission reduction goals as it combats climate change.
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