IAEA in talks with Iran to extend inspections agreement

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is in talks with Iran on extending a three-month inspection agreement that expires on Friday.

The UN nuclear watchdog is still in talks with Iran on extending a three-month monitoring deal that expires on Friday, it said on Thursday, according to a report by Reuters.

The IAEA added that it will provide an update within days.

"The Agency and Iran are currently in consultations regarding the implementation of the existing understanding," the IAEA said in a statement, adding that the agreement struck on Feb. 21 "remains in effect".

"The Director-General will provide an update to the (IAEA) Board of Governors in the coming days."

Iran is engaged in talks with the remaining parties to the nuclear deal (JCPOA) known as the P4+1 to salvage the deal in the Austrian capital of Vienna. At the end of the fourth round of Vienna talks on Wednesday, the head of the Iranian delegation at the talks Abbass Araghchi said that "Very good progress was made," though, he added there are still issues remaining to be agreed upon.

Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog reached a temporary agreement that expires tomorrow almost three months ago to extend the partial implementation of the Additional Protocol, which gives access to Iran nuclear sites to IAEA inspectors.

Iran has vowed already that it will leave the Vienna talks if it feels they are taking time and the other parties are not serious and are just killing the time.

The decision to stop implementation of the Additional Protocol was in accordance with a piece of legislation approved in Parliament last December which set a deadline for the US to lift all the sanctions otherwise Iran will leave the Protocol. Iran has so far increased uranium enrichment to above 60% in compliance with the parliament law.

The top Iranian negotiator told the Japanese NHK on Wednesday that the Iranian government would decide later on extending cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.

(c) Mehr

News.Az

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