With the start of the seasonal session of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran’s nuclear program has become the focus and agenda, which will continue from September 9 to 13.
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, expressed concern at this session about the agency’s awareness of the latest developments in Iran’s nuclear activities, including the production of centrifuges and the operational aspects of the heavy water reactor.
He also expressed hope that he would soon meet with the Iranian regime’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian. However, the main actor in this issue on the Iranian side is not Pezeshkian but regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Grossi’s statement comes as the Iranian regime had previously pretended to adopt a peaceful approach toward reaching an understanding with the IAEA Director General and resuming a new level of cooperation.
But this was merely a deception; the Iranian regime always takes such actions ahead of the Board of Governors’ meetings to prevent the issuance of resolutions against its nuclear program.
According to the Iranian government’s claims, the IAEA and European members of the Board of Governors have disrupted cooperation by issuing their own alleged statements.
Two days ago, the regime’s delegation in Vienna presented its latest positions and demands regarding the Director General’s reports to the Board of Governor.
In another report, the Iranian regime proposed designing a new modality for implementing the provisions of the 2022 statement.
The Iranian regime claimed that this requires direct dialogue between Iran and the IAEA.
The Iranian regime asserted that an agreement would only be implemented if Grossi kept his promise not to use the IAEA as a political tool, and this would be evident in his tone and reports.
However, in his recent speech about engaging with the Iranian government, Grossi stated that he had exchanged messages with Pezeshkian after the Iranian elections.
But as mentioned earlier, the main actor on the scene is Khamenei. These meetings and displays of understanding with the IAEA pursued by the Iranian government have another goal.
That goal is that in October 2024, the expiration date of the JCPOA agreement will occur, and all sanctions against the Iranian regime will automatically be lifted.
Afterward, no sanctions can be imposed on Iran’s nuclear program, unless before this deadline, the European Troika triggers the snapback mechanism.
This means that due to Iran’s significant violations of the JCPOA and its lack of cooperation with the IAEA and the Board of Governors, all sanctions from the six resolutions prior to Resolution 2231 would be reinstated.
It is important to note that none of the permanent members of the UN Security Council have the right to veto the snapback mechanism.
Therefore, the Iranian regime is trying to engage with Grossi, the IAEA, and the Board of Governors and politicize the IAEA’s decisions to reach this expiration date.
Additionally, the regime aims to maneuver against the European Troika, which recently threatened to activate the snapback mechanism if Iran does not cooperate with the IAEA before the expiration of the JCPOA, and neutralize their actions.
Iran possessing nuclear weapons, in addition to regional chaos, would fuel a nuclear arms race in the already volatile Middle East region.
