BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 17. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, currently holds no real significance because no one is actually following it, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told Russian media, Trend reports.
"I believe we need to return to diplomacy. We had the JCPOA, but now it's just a paper agreement that nobody is adhering to. There have been attempts to revive it here in Vienna, but unfortunately, despite coming close to success, they fell through for reasons unknown to me, as I wasn't directly involved in the process. It's no surprise that the US and Iran are blaming each other for its failure," Grossi remarked.
He stressed the importance of avoiding a repeat of the North Korean scenario, where decades of negotiations ultimately proved futile. Grossi also confirmed ongoing difficulties with gaining access to Iranian nuclear facilities.
Meanwhile, in late 2020, the Iranian parliament adopted a strategic plan to counter the sanctions, citing the non-fulfillment of the JCPOA signed between Iran and six countries and the imposition of sanctions on Iran.
Based on the decision of the Iranian parliament, as of February 23, Iran stopped the implementation of additional measures and an additional protocol included in the nuclear deal. As a consequence, the monitoring mechanism of the IAEA was reduced by 20-30 percent.