Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have signed an agreement paving the way for resuming co-operation, including ways for resuming inspections of the country’s nuclear facilities.
Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty met in Cairo with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi and IAEA director general Rafael Grossi.
They were discussing developments involving Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
The meeting came at a sensitive time as, on August 28, the UK, France and Germany started the process of reimposing sanctions on Iran.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi attended the meeting in Cairo (Khaled Elfiqi/AP)
On July 2, Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian signed a law adopted by his country’s parliament suspending all co-operation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
This followed Iran’s 12-day war with Israel in June, during which Israel and the US struck Iranian nuclear sites.
The only site inspected by the IAEA since the war has been the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which operates with Russian technical assistance. Inspectors watched a fuel replacement procedure at the plant over two days starting on August 27.
IAEA inspectors have been unable to verify Iran’s near bomb-grade stockpile since the start of the war on June 13, which the UN nuclear watchdog described as “a matter of serious concern”.
Egypt has been helping bolster co-operation between Iran and the IAEA.
The Iranian foreign ministry said last month that talks between his country and the agency would be “technical” and “complicated”.
Relations between the two had soured after a 12-day air war was waged by Israel and the US in June, which saw key Iranian nuclear facilities bombed.
The IAEA board said on June 12 that Iran had breached its non-proliferation obligations, a day before Israel’s airstrikes over Iran that sparked the war.