Iranian state television Press TV reported on Saturday that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) "will not be granted access to footage captured by surveillance cameras." In a tweet on its official account, Press TV stated: "The upcoming visit of the IAEA Director General to Iran is unrelated to the restrictions imposed on the agency's access to surveillance cameras installed inside Iranian nuclear facilities."
It added: "The discussions led by the IAEA Director General in Tehran will focus solely on the repair and maintenance of monitoring equipment." The report continued: "An informed source dismissed claims suggesting that Iran may reconsider its decision regarding IAEA restrictions on surveillance cameras."
Rafael Grossi, the IAEA Director General, is scheduled to visit Tehran this week for talks that could help ease escalating tensions between Iran and the West, which threaten to undermine negotiations aimed at reviving the Iranian nuclear deal. Three diplomats closely monitoring the agency's activities confirmed Grossi’s visit, which will occur ahead of this week's scheduled meeting of the IAEA's 35-member Board of Governors.
According to two diplomats, Grossi is set to meet with the new head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, on Sunday. Indirect talks between the United States and Iran regarding compliance with the nuclear agreement have been stalled since June. Washington and its European allies have urged the administration of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, which took power in August, to return to negotiations.
Under the 2015 agreement between Iran and major powers, Tehran agreed to impose restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for lifting international sanctions. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced in 2018 the withdrawal of the U.S. from the nuclear deal and reimposed punishing economic sanctions on Iran. In response, Tehran began breaching several key limitations of the agreement in 2019, including enriching uranium to purity levels closer to those used in nuclear weapons production.
