Iran-IAEA re-engagement ...
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Would agreeing to visit these sites under a specific protocol amount to a revival of the Cairo understanding?
As to whether an agreement to visit these sites could be construed as reviving the Cairo understanding, this must be addressed with legal precision. The Cairo understanding was the product of specific temporal and political circumstances, and Iran has consistently stressed that no understanding can be revived automatically or implicitly.
If discussions today concern limited visits to certain sites, this can only be defined as a new, independent and clearly specified executive arrangement, not as a return to past agreements. The line between voluntary cooperation and the acceptance of obligations beyond established legal frameworks must remain clear and not open to interpretation.
Iran will not allow ad hoc technical cooperation to be turned into a precedent for permanent demands or the creation of a new practice that undermines the country’s established rights.
What impact will this issue have on the future of Iran’s cooperation with the agency, as well as on nuclear negotiations or Iran’s relations with other countries?
There is no doubt that the way this issue is managed will have a direct impact on the future of Iran-IAEA cooperation and on the broader atmosphere surrounding nuclear negotiations. If the agency adopts a technical, impartial approach, refrains from political pressure, and recognizes Iran’s legitimate rights and concerns, the continuation, and even strengthening, of cooperation is possible. Such a path could help dial down tensions, wrap up outstanding allegations, and foster a more rational environment in international interactions.
Conversely, if inspections are turned into instruments of political pressure or a means to recycle settled accusations, it is only natural that this will negatively affect the level of cooperation, mutual trust and the negotiation process. Iran has consistently shown that it is willing to engage and cooperate, but this cooperation is neither unlimited, nor one-sided, nor outside the framework of international law.
In sum, the future of Iran-IAEA engagement depends above all on the agency’s commitment to its technical mission and its avoidance of political considerations, a course which, if chosen wisely, will serve the interests of all parties.