TEHRAN(Bazaar) – Tariq Raouf, former Director General of the Atomic Energy Agency says it is unlikely that this latest engagement between Iran and the US will have any significant impact on the JCPOA.
“As reported by the IAEA earlier this month, it seems Iran had slightly reduced its accumulation of 60% enriched uranium and allowed reinstallation of IAEA cameras and enrichment monitoring system. But there is no progress on JCPOA since there are no incentives either in Washington or in Tehran,” Rauf told Bazaar news agency.
Following is the text of the Bazaar interview with Tariq Raouf.
Q: The issue of prisoner exchange between Iran and the United States was carried out. Will this have an impact on the revival of the JCPOA?
A: It is unlikely that this latest engagement between Iran and the US will have any significant impact on the JCPOA. As reported by the IAEA earlier this month, it seems Iran had slightly reduced its accumulation of 60% enriched uranium and allowed reinstallation of IAEA cameras and enrichment monitoring system. But there is no progress on JCPOA since there are no incentives either in Washington or in Tehran.
Q: Washington has announced that it does not consider the prisoner exchange agreement with Iran to be a confidence-building step between the two countries. What is your assessment of this issue?
A: As above. The exchange was a compartmentalized matter unrelated to the JCPOA on both sides.
Q: President Biden announced in a statement after this exchange that the US will continue to impose costs on Iran for its provocative actions in the region. Could this message mean to remove his government from the internal pressures that condemned him to pay ransom to Iran regarding the release of Iran's blocked funds?
A: Yes, the US just increased sanctions on certain entities in Iran to placate domestic opponents. And, safeguards issues still remain unresolved. Iran this week rejected inspectors from certain Western countries with uranium enrichment expertise, leading the IAEA to issue a strongly worded statement that " strongly condemned" Iran's "profoundly regrettable" action and called on the "highest authorities of Iran to engage with DG Grossi ... to correct course" .... seems this statement will not be taken kindly in Tehran. Iran's relations with the IAEA are deteriorating.
Q: What effect will this agreement have on Biden's presidential campaign?
A: Biden's Republican opponents and the right-wing lobby already are criticizing Biden for "paying Iran $6 bn" and trading hostages and that this will encourage Iran to take more.
Q: Qatar has expressed hope that this agreement will open the way to solve other issues between Iran and America. Considering the success of this country in this agreement, how likely is Doha to continue this mediation in the field of the nuclear agreement?
A: Qatar is likely to continue with its mediation; the EU is left out of the picture.
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