UN nuclear chief hopeful for 'important agreements' during Iran visit

UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi has said that he had "constructive" talks with Iranian officials in Tehran after the discovery of uranium particles enriched to near weapons-grade level.

"By having a constructive discussion... and having good agreements, like I am sure we are going to have, we are going to be paving the way for important agreements," Grossi told a news conference alongside Iran's top nuclear official Mohammad Eslami on Saturday.

The two-day visit by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) comes as the Vienna-based organisation seeks greater cooperation with Iran over its nuclear activities.

Grossi arrived Friday in Iran amid deadlock in negotiations on reviving a landmark 2015 accord on Iran's nuclear activity, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.

A diplomatic source said that Grossi would meet President Ebrahim Raisi to "relaunch the dialogue" on Iran's atomic work and to "reset the relationship at the highest level".

Grossi had previously made clear "that he was only prepared to go to Tehran if he had an invitation to speak with the president," the source added.

Uranium particles enriched up to 83.7 percent – just under the 90 percent needed to produce an atomic bomb – had been detected at Iran's underground Fordo plant about 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Tehran, according to a confidential IAEA report.

Iran denies wanting to acquire atomic weapons, and says it had made no attempt to enrich uranium beyond 60-percent purity.

Iran's government has said, however, that "unintended fluctuations... may have occurred" during the enrichment process.

The discovery came after Iran had substantially modified an interconnection between two centrifuge clusters enriching uranium, without declaring it to the IAEA.

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Stalled negotiations 

The 2015 deal between Iran and world powers promised Tehran relief from economic sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear activities.

The restrictions set out in the deal, including the 3.67-percent enrichment threshold, were intended to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

The United States unilaterally withdrew from the pact in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump and reimposed sanctions, prompting Iran to suspend the implementation of its own commitments. 

Negotiations aimed at reviving the deal started in 2021 but have been stalled since last year.

Grossi's visit is being seen in Iran as another indication that a dialogue-based approach to resolving the nuclear standoff is possible.

"It is hoped that this trip will form the basis for greater cooperation and a clearer horizon between Iran and the IAEA," the spokesman of Iran's atomic agency Behrouz Kamalvandi said ahead of Grossi's visit.

In November 2022, Western nations criticised Iran for its lack of cooperation after traces of enriched uranium were found at three undeclared sites.

Grossi, who last visited Iran in early March 2022, is due to hold a news conference upon his return to Vienna late Saturday afternoon.

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