Iran is willing to resolve disputes with the United Nations nuclear agency over its compliance with safeguards on its atomic programme but will not do so under pressure, Iran's foreign minister said after meeting the IAEA head on Thursday.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi meets with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Tehran, Iran, November 14, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
Iran is willing to resolve disputes with the United Nations nuclear agency over its compliance with safeguards on its atomic programme but will not do so under pressure, Iran's foreign minister said after meeting the IAEA head on Thursday.
European powers are pushing for a new resolution against Iran by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board next week to pressure Tehran over what they view as its poor cooperation, diplomats told Reuters on Wednesday.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has for months sought progress with Iran on issues including a push for more monitoring cooperation at its nuclear sites and an explanation of uranium traces found at undeclared sites.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, writing on X after talks with Grossi in Tehran, said: "The ball is in the EU/E3 court. Willing to negotiate based on our national interest and inalienable rights, but not ready to negotiate under pressure and intimidation."
He was referring to the three main European powers, France, Germany, and Britain.
The talks took place with Donald Trump due to take office again as U.S. President in January. During his previous tenure, the United States pulled out of the 2015 accord between Iran and several world powers aimed at curbing its suspected nuclear missile programme.
Araqchi said the talks with Grossi were "important and straightforward", while the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation Mohammad Eslami said they were "constructive".
"As a committed member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), we continue our full cooperation with the IAEA. Differences can be resolved through cooperation and dialogue," Araqchi added.
Reporting by Dubai Newsroom
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday negotiating a deal with Iran could "take a few days," quashing hopes for an imminent end to the conflict a day after U.S. forces conducted what Washington called defensive strikes in southern Iran.
Iran's top negotiator and its foreign minister were in Doha for talks with Qatar's prime minister on a potential deal with the U.S. to end the three-month-old war, an official briefed on the visit said on Monday, after Washington and Tehran played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday that conclusions have been reached on many topics discussed in a potential 14-point memorandum of understanding, but this does not mean a deal to end the Middle East war is imminent.
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