Iran emphasizes the importance of continuing prospective and technical cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a telephone conversation with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi on January 29, Trend reports.

He believes that Iran is genuinely keen on maintaining collaboration with the agency in line with its global commitments, and it is essential to avoid adopting counterproductive stances and strategies.

Araghchi implored the International Atomic Energy Agency to resist the unwarranted pressures and demands from some nations.

In a telephone conversation, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi also stated that the agency has a serious will for mutual understanding and cooperation with Iran. He noted that he would use his authority to consult with all parties to create favorable conditions for resolving existing issues.

To recall, on January 16, 2016, the JCPOA came into force between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany) regarding Iran’s nuclear program. However, on May 8, 2018, the US withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the 5+1 group (Russia, China, the UK, France, the US, and Germany) and imposed new sanctions on Iran starting from November 2018.

By the end of 2020, the Iranian parliament decided to pursue a strategic plan in the nuclear sector to counter the sanctions, leading to a suspension of additional steps and the Additional Protocol as per the nuclear agreement.

Consequently, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) faced a reduction in monitoring capabilities by 20–30 percent.