The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, was in Tehran to secure much-wanted cooperation from Iranian officials at a critical moment for the fate of the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The negotiations were "intense," Grossi declared at a presser in Tehran, adding that they were held "with a view to finding common ground." Standing next to the IAEA chief was the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Eslami, who said Iran had addressed ambiguities raised by the IAEA. Eslami shrugged off some issues, the basis of which was "evidence provided by our enemies." He did not offer further details, but the IAEA has in its recent reports expressed concern, among other issues, about Iran’s reduced cooperation that has appeared in extreme "physical searches" imposed on its inspectors.

A yet more contentious issue has been access to surveillance footage captured by cameras set up in Iran’s key nuclear facilities as part of the "Additional Protocol," an agreement that requires a certain level of transparency from Tehran. That arrangement, however, has turned increasingly shaky since late 2019, when Iran’s conservative parliament voted to push the IAEA away from Iranian sites.

At a later meeting, according to Iranian media, the nuclear watchdog chief was advised by Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to resist "outside pressure." The Iranian top diplomat still underlined Tehran’s serious resolve for "constructive cooperation" with the IAEA.