MNA � Acting Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Cornel Feruta visited Iran today and held with Iranian officials.







According to the IAEA statement, which is available�on their website, Acting Director General Cornel Feruta visited Iran on 8 September 2019, and met with Vice-President and President of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and other Iranian senior officials.

Discussions covered IAEA activities in Iran, with an emphasis on the ongoing interactions between the IAEA and Iran related to the implementation of the Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol. Acting Director General Feruta�stressed that these interactions require full and timely cooperation by Iran. He said the IAEA�s safeguards activities are conducted in an impartial, independent and objective manner, and in accordance with standard safeguards practices.

The discussions also included the IAEA�s verification and monitoring of Iran�s nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). In this regard, Mr Feruta was informed about Iran�s announced activities related to its centrifuge research and development. He said he will report on these activities to the IAEA Board of Governors.

Feruta's visit came after Iran took the 3rd step to reduce its JCPOA-related commitments in reaction to lack of action on the part of other signatories to the deal.

The third step came�after the Europeans failed to meet a 60-day deadline to meet Iran�s demands and fulfill their commitments under the deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

As a third step, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran�(AEOI) said on Saturday it had activated 20 IR-4 and 20 IR-6 centrifuges for research and development purposes. Meanwhile, the AEOI spokesman said that the IAEA�had�been informed about Iran's�new�nuclear steps, adding that the UN watchdog�would�continue to monitor Iran's nuclear activities.