‘We cannot afford another crisis,’ IAEA head says as Iran suspends cooperation

Geoff Bennett:

Also at the U.N. this week is a series of diplomatic meetings over at Iran. Iran and the International Atomic Energy administration, or IAEA, have gone back and forth over whether U.N. inspectors will be allowed to examine Iran's nuclear sites, including those Israel and the U.S. attacked back in June.

Nick Schifrin spoke earlier today to the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog.

Nick Schifrin:

On Friday afternoon, the vote was clear.

Man:

Nine votes against.

Nick Schifrin:

The Security Council reimposed on Iran sanctions that had been frozen for a decade. Barring any last-minute change, they go into effect this Sunday, sanctions that had been lifted as part of the 2015 nuclear deal, when Iran agreed to limits on its nuclear program.

Donald Trump, President of the United States: I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.

Nick Schifrin:

In 2018, President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal. In the years since, Iran restarted prohibited enrichment and exceeded the deal's caps on its nuclear fuel stockpile.

This summer, Israel launched a 12-day war against Iran, capped by U.S. strikes on Iran's most important nuclear facilities, targeting its uranium enrichment and stockpile, which Iran says is now buried under the rubble. In response, at first, Iran blocked access to U.N. nuclear inspectors. Just two weeks ago, Iran's foreign minister and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi agreed to allow those inspectors back in.

But, this weekend, Iran said the reimposition of sanctions had — quote — "practically resulted in the suspension of cooperation with the IAEA."

And now I'm joined by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

Rafael Grossi, thanks very much, welcome back to the "News Hour."

Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General, IAEA:

Thank you. It's a great pleasure.

Nick Schifrin:

This weekend, Iran's supreme National Security Council said it had suspended cooperation with the IAEA. What have they actually communicated to you, if anything?

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

Nothing of the sort. But we are — at this time, there are lots of messages, some of them contradictory.

We have a constant line of communication. We have been in Cairo just a few days ago, where we agreed on a new framework for cooperation to resume our inspection work in Iran, which was suspended, of course, after the attacks last June.

Nick Schifrin:

So, as of now, do you know if this is real? Are they actually suspending the deal that they signed with you in Cairo?

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

Well, we haven't heard of any official communication to that effect. And we know that, in Iran, there are different voices, sometimes in Parliament, sometimes politicians, sometimes indicating that they suspend or that they want to suspend.

At the same time, there are obligations, because they are party to the nonproliferation treaty. So, this, of course, is the basis for our inspection work. So all of this needs to be clarified. But, for the moment, there is no suspension as such.

Nick Schifrin:

But let me just make sure. The deal that you signed in Cairo would allow inspectors back to — quote — "all facilities and installations and contemplates the required reporting on all the attacked facilities." That's a reference to the U.S. attack…

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

On everything, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Nick Schifrin:

… on everything, right, as well as the nuclear material present at those sites.

So, as of now, you believe that you still have that deal with Iran?

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

We do. We do. And we hope it will be maintained. There is no automaticity.

But this is the same for any country. Countries get notifications to be inspected. But the inspections must proceed. This is important.

Nick Schifrin:

OK, so let's talk about the three sites the United States attack, Fordow, Natanz, Isfahan.

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

Yes. Yes.

Nick Schifrin:

How will it work? Will your inspectors be able to go to these three sites themselves or will they rely on some kind of Iranian report for the sites?

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

No, there must be a report to begin with where they tell us what the situation is. Then we will evaluate it. At the end of that, we will need to visit or inspect those places.

Nick Schifrin:

And you have an agreement to visit these three sites?

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

Yes, but it's not automatic. And this is where the — if you want, a process will occur. There are those in Iran who say nothing has been agreed, you cannot come here.

It's, of course, a political statement. The reality is that, when we notify an inspection, an inspection must proceed.

Nick Schifrin:

You can understand from the outside these different statements that you call political make it seem like Iran is not cooperating.

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

Yes.

Nick Schifrin:

From your perspective, is Iran cooperating?

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

I think Iran is cooperating, although they have their own interpretation of what cooperation is.

Nick Schifrin:

But forgive me. You're in charge of an agency whose technical requirements are pretty specific, are they not?

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

Yes.

Nick Schifrin:

I mean, Iran might feel aggrieved, but, at the end of the day, are they giving you what you need?

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

We have started. There has been inspections in the nuclear power plant they have in Bushehr in the south of the country. Now we are in the process of visiting a research reactor.

Of course, the crux of the matter, because I don't like to avoid questions, is the nuclear material.

Nick Schifrin:

Right. So this is the nearly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium. Do you have any new information to suggest that it was destroyed or was not destroyed?

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

No, there is no information as to the status of the material. We think that most of the material is still there and…

Nick Schifrin:

Meaning buried underground.

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

Yes, yes. And this is the general consensus of many, including in Iran, that the material is still there.

So, when we receive their report, then we will be able to start this process of interaction and perhaps inspections.

Nick Schifrin:

As you know, the U.S. and Europe have demanded three very specific things…

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

Yes.

Nick Schifrin:

… working with the IAEA, direct talks with the United States and accounting for all of that nuclear material that we have been talking about.

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

To a certain extent, all of that is happening.

Nick Schifrin:

OK, so that's my question. So, from your perspective, is Iran doing all those three things?

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

Well, it depends on what kind of metric you put to determine whether that is enough or not.

Nick Schifrin:

For the Americans, it's yes or no.

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

First of all, well, the Americans, at the end — you can ask them. And I am in very close contact with special envoy Ambassador Witkoff, for whom I have great respect.

Their position is a position that I must respect. What I do is something different. So, by the three parameters that you're mentioning, Iran is working with the agency. Have we gotten everything we want? Not yet. Have we checked on the material? Not yet, but we are working on that. On the contacts with the United States, I think there have been some.

Nick Schifrin:

And, finally, you are under enhanced security because of Iranian threats. Does that security still exist, without giving away any specifics, obviously? And will that stop you from doing your job?

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

It does, and no.

Nick Schifrin:

It does still exist, and, no, it won't stop?

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

It does still exist, and no. And that is — I mean, you have to transcend that. It's not easy to engage in a diplomatic conversation where certain things are said and threats are made.

But it's part of our obligation to continue the work. We cannot afford to have another crisis in the Middle East at this point. We have to avert it. We have to move to a durable, sustainable situation that, in my view, only goes through diplomacy.

Nick Schifrin:

Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, thank you very much.

Rafael Mariano Grossi:

Thank you.