BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 9
Leman Zeynalova - Trend:
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) continues to carry out its safeguards activities in Iran and elsewhere, the Agency told Trend.
“It continues to carry out its safeguards activities in Iran and elsewhere, ensuring the effective implementation of its mandate while also taking all appropriate measures to protect the safety and security of its staff, whose work is crucial for international peace and security, and of the national officials they are interacting with,” said IAEA.
The IAEA said it is continuously monitoring the situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak but – as Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a recent video message – Agency inspections safeguarding nuclear material all over the world “will not stop for a single minute”.
“While there have been widespread travel disruptions and other logistical hurdles due to the outbreak, the IAEA is taking all necessary steps to overcome such challenges,” said the Agency. “These safeguards activities are conducted by IAEA inspectors, who also have a range of sophisticated technical tools at their disposal. They are continuing their important work in a highly professional and dedicated manner during these extraordinary times.”
In January 2016, the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA) was launched between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France and Germany) in connection with Iran's nuclear program. In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and imposed sanctions against Iran in November of the same year.
In order to preserve the agreements reached as part of the JCPOA, the European signatories of the deal stated in January 2019 that a financial mechanism for maintaining trade with Iran called INSTEX was formed.
On May 8, 2019, Iran announced that it had ceased fulfilling its commitments regarding the sale of over 300 kilograms of uranium, as stated in the deal, basing its decision on the other signatories having not fulfilled their obligations. On July 7, Iran announced that it will not be fulfilling its commitments regarding the enrichment of uranium at 3.67 percent and the reconstruction of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility as stated in the deal.
On Sept. 5, Iran announced that it will enrich uranium using next-generation centrifuges and will not mix it with the enriched uranium residues as part of the third step of reducing commitments in JCPOA.
On Nov. 5, 2019, Iran announced that it took the fourth step in connection with reducing its commitments to the nuclear agreement. So, uranium gas is being pumped to the centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.
Iran took the last fifth step in reducing the number of its commitments within JCPOA. Iran no longer faces any restrictions on its nuclear program.
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