Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi in Tehran, Iran, March 4, 2023. [Photo/Iranian Foreign Ministry]

Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), wrapped his high-profile visit to Iran on Saturday as Iran agrees to allow the international watchdog to implement more "appropriate verification and monitoring activities."

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and IAEA have reached a consensus that their interactions should be carried out "in a spirit of collaboration and in full conformity with the competencies of the IAEA and Iran's rights and obligations," according to a jointed statement by the AEOI and IAEA issued on Saturday.

Iran also expressed readiness to provide more "information and access" to address the IAEA's concerns over the safeguards issues, namely the alleged "uranium traces" found at three undeclared sites, the statement said.

The statement also noted that a technical meeting between the IAEA and AEOI will take place in Tehran soon to sort out the "modalities" of their cooperation.

Grossi arrived in Tehran on Friday and held talks with senior Iranian officials, including President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and AEOI President Mohammad Eslami.

The Iranian president, who met Grossi on Saturday, said he expects the IAEA to adopt a "professional" approach to the Iranian nuclear issue and prevent certain countries from affecting the nuclear watchdog's decisions, according to a report on the website of the president's office.

Countries like Israel and the United States use the nuclear issue as an "excuse" to further pressure the Iranian people, said the president, pointing out that it was the United States that violated the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

Iran has had "the highest level" of cooperation with the IAEA, and expects the agency to tell the truth about Iran's nuclear program and the country's commitment to its regulations, he noted.

Meanwhile, the Iranian foreign minister said in his meeting with Grossi that Iran is firmly determined to technically resolve the safeguards issues as soon as possible.

Grossi stressed the importance of resorting to diplomacy and dialogue for the resolution of the issues, welcoming any initiative that would help the Vienna talks make progress and come to fruition.

In recent months, the IAEA had criticized Iran for its lack of cooperation with the agency.

In November last year, the IAEA's Board of Governors passed a resolution proposed by the United States, Britain, France and Germany that called on Iran to collaborate with the agency's investigators regarding "uranium traces."

Iran has repeatedly rejected such allegations and emphasized the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.

Iran signed the JCPOA with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of the sanctions on the country. The United States, however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.

The talks on the JCPOA's revival began in April 2021 in Vienna. No breakthrough has been achieved after the latest round of talks in August 2022.

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