IAEA chief reacts to Iran’s JCPOA decision

In his first interview after the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Rafael Mariano Grossi claimed that Iran’s new decision would lead to the escalation of tensions, saying Iran should not follow through on threats to increase uranium enrichment and throw out his inspectors.

"If implemented," he claimed, these measures would be an even further deviation from the commitments that Iran entered into when it joined the agreement.

"I cannot imagine who would win from such a situation, if there was any limitation of the IAEA inspectors as a result of this or any other situation were curtailed in their work,” he told Sky News.

"Very clearly we would have to inform about this. We would have to be very clear to the world this is happening,” he added while claiming that this in itself would not help anyone including Iran.

Grossi then expressed hope that the Agency can continue working with Iran in the way it must.

The Iranian Parliament has approved the outlines of a draft bill, which, if adopted, will require the Iranian administration to suspend more commitments under a 2015 multilateral nuclear deal.

The plan, among other things, requires the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to produce at least 120 kg of 20-percent enriched uranium annually and store it inside the country within two months after the adoption of the law.

The move is meant to open the locks placed on the country’s nuclear program and advance the goals of nuclear martyrs such as Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was assassinated by suspected Israel-tied terrorists on Friday.

MH