UN nuclear watchdog to act as guarantor of any deal, IAEA chief says

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday that the agency is in constant contact with Iran and the United States about Tehran’s nuclear program, with the International Atomic Energy Agency expected to act as guarantor of any future agreement.

“They are negotiating — it’s not us — but the IAEA will have to be the guarantor of whichever agreement they come to,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told the AP.

Despite continued disputes over uranium enrichment, Grossi said he is encouraged by the seriousness of both sides, adding: “I think they both want an agreement, which doesn’t mean that it’s easy to get, but, simple and obvious as this may sound, having two sides that want an agreement is an enormous advantage.

“In my long diplomatic career, I have participated in negotiations where it was not necessarily the case that the sides wanted an agreement,” he added.