Grossi: Iran has not declared suspension of Cairo agreement
Tehran - BORNA - In an interview with U.S. media, Grossi confirmed that Iran remains in contact with the IAEA and has not declared the suspension of cooperation agreed in Cairo, where both sides reached a new framework for resuming inspections that had been halted after the June attacks on Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow. “We have not received such communication. We know there are different voices in Iran—sometimes from parliament, sometimes from politicians—saying suspension is possible. But so far, it has not happened,” he said.
His comments came as French President Emmanuel Macron declared last week that European powers may reimpose UN sanctions on Iran by the end of September, claiming recent negotiations with Tehran were not serious. The European trio launched a 30-day process in late August to trigger the snapback mechanism, tying any delay to Iran restoring inspector access and entering direct negotiations with the United States.
Indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, mediated by Oman, collapsed following Israeli military strikes on Iran’s sovereignty and nuclear infrastructure in early July. The U.S., which admitted full knowledge and support of the attacks, later directly participated in the assault that seriously damaged Iranian nuclear sites. Iran’s parliament subsequently voted to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, citing Grossi’s failure to protect safeguarded facilities and his “biased” technical reporting.
Despite this, Tehran and the Agency reached a new cooperation modality in Cairo, with Iran’s National Security Council clarifying that the agreement would be annulled if the snapback mechanism were activated. Grossi acknowledged the fragility of the arrangement but insisted, “We do have this agreement, and we hope it is preserved. Suspension is not automatic.”
Monitoring nuclear sites after attacks
Asked whether inspections would resume at the destroyed facilities, Grossi said initial reports from Iran must be evaluated, after which inspectors would seek access. “Yes, there is an agreement, but the process is not automatic,” he noted, dismissing Iranian political statements questioning access as rhetoric.
On the fate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium, Grossi admitted the IAEA lacks new information. “We think most of the material is still there—buried under the rubble,” he said, adding that Iran and the Agency largely share this assessment.
Iran cooperating under the NPT
Grossi emphasized that Iran remains bound by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which forms the basis of IAEA inspections. He acknowledged that Iran is cooperating with the Agency “to some extent,” pointing to inspections in Bushehr and a research reactor, but conceded that “not everything we wanted has been achieved yet.”
He further said that contact between Iran and the U.S. continues indirectly but avoided judging whether Tehran’s steps meet Washington’s conditions. “Iran is cooperating with the Agency. Have we got everything we wanted? Not yet. But work is ongoing,” he remarked.
Asked about alleged threats against him, Grossi admitted such threats exist but insisted they would not stop his work. “Diplomatic dialogue is never easy when threats are made, but our job is to continue. The region cannot afford another crisis; stability can only come through diplomacy,” he said.
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