DUBAI (Reuters) -UN nuclear inspectors have returned to Iran for the first time since it suspended cooperation with them in the wake of Israel’s attacks on its nuclear sites, Iranian state media reported on Wednesday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told lawmakers Tehran had still not reached an agreement on how it would resume full work with the UN’s IAEA watchdog, parliament news agency ICANA reported.
But he said the inspectors would supervise the changing of fuel at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, according to the report.
Araqchi’s comments come a day after Iran met with France, Britain and Germany to try to revive negotiations over its nuclear programme – which Western powers say is aimed at developing a bomb, but it says is focused on civilian projects.
Iran has said it needs a new cooperation agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency after the 12-day air war in June with Israel that was shortly joined by the United States.
The Iranian parliament passed legislation in June suspending cooperation with the IAEA and stipulating that any future inspections will need a green light from Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council.
That Council had approved the visit by the inspectors, but “no draft for a new cooperation modality with the IAEA has been finalised or approved,” Araqchi said according to ICANA.
“The changing of the fuel of Bushehr nuclear reactor has to be done under the supervision of inspectors of the international agency,” he added.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told Fox News on Tuesday that “the first team of IAEA inspectors is back in Iran,” but that the agency was still discussing how to resume inspections.
After the June attacks, Iran argued the sites were no longer safe for inspectors.
(Reporting by Elwely Elwelly; Editing by Toby Chopra)
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