BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 6. The future of relations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be determined by the relevant Iranian institutions, including the Supreme National Security Council, said the country’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, at a press conference in Tehran on October 6, Trend reports.
According to him, Iran is a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and at the same time has a safeguards agreement.
Baghaei stated that the recent agreement between Iran and the IAEA on the implementation of the “Snapback” mechanism, which provides for the restoration of UN Security Council sanctions against Iran, cannot be considered a basis for cooperation between the two sides.
The Iranian official said that the Iranian Foreign Ministry would announce its position in the context of national interests, and that the decision on cooperation with the IAEA would be made by the relevant institutions of the country.
On September 9, a new agreement was signed in the Egyptian capital Cairo between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency on the resumption of cooperation.
Iran's cooperation with the IAEA was reduced to a minimum following air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June.
On July 2, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a decree suspending cooperation with the IAEA. According to a law passed by the Iranian parliament, inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are not allowed to enter the country to conduct inspections. The agency's inspectors may only be admitted to the country if Iran's Supreme National Security Council confirms that the country's peaceful nuclear activities and the safety of its nuclear facilities are guaranteed.
On September 26, the UN Security Council held a meeting on a draft resolution submitted by Russia and China to extend Resolution 2231 and prevent the activation of the “Snapback” mechanism. At the meeting, four countries voted in favor of the resolution, nine countries voted against it, and two countries abstained. Thus, as of September 28, the UN Security Council resolutions against Iran were reinstated.