IAEA Head Says ‘Glimmer of Hope’ Remains to Restore Dialogue on JCPOA Revival
International Atomic Energy Organization, IAEA, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, right, speaks with with Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, left, during their meeting in Tehran, Saturday, March 5, 2022.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – There is still slight hope for the revival of dialogue on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iranian nuclear deal, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said on Saturday.On December 8, a former adviser to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander, Hossein Taeb, said that the United States is now asking Tehran to return to the talks on the revival of the JCPOA after its attempt to overthrow the Iranian government failed.”What one can say is that the JCPOA, or what remains of it, has become, in practical terms, irrelevant. It will have to be revived, and I think there is still maybe a glimmer of hope that this could be done, although that is in the hands of those negotiating,” Grossi said in an interview with Al Jazeera.The latest round of talks on restoring the JCPOA took place in Doha on June 29-30. After the representatives of the countries involved returned to their capitals, the dialogue on this topic was suspended.The JCPOA was negotiated between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) on July 14, 2015. In May 2018, the US unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA, saying that Iran had violated the deal by developing nuclear weapons in secret. In response, Iran suspended parts of the deal, demanding US lift sanctions.In September, a wave of protests against the current government of Iran broke out throughout the country. Riots were ignited by the reports of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested by morality police for wearing a hijab improperly. According to social media posts, she was beaten to death by police officers. Government officials have denied all allegations, stating that Amini suffered a heart attack.The Iranian authorities accuse the US and other Western countries of supporting the riots and calling for the overthrow of the government. Rioters systematically attack the state security forces, including the IRGC, Tehran said.
