MOSCOW, Feb 8 The International Atomic Energy Agency is transmitting information about Iran's nuclear program into the hands of opponents of negotiations on the resumption of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA or the nuclear deal), Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, said in an interview.
«We must express our regret over the increased cases of politicized and unprofessional behavior (by the IAEA — ed.), as well as the transfer of important information (by the IAEA — ed.) about the JCPOA negotiations to opponents of these negotiations,» — Eslamy said.
In 2015, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Russia, the United States, France and Iran signed a nuclear deal — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which involved the lifting of sanctions in exchange for limiting Iran's nuclear program. In May 2018, the United States under Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA and reinstated sanctions against Tehran. In response, Iran announced a phased reduction in its obligations under the agreement, waiving restrictions on nuclear research, centrifuges and the level of uranium enrichment.
Negotiations were held in Vienna to renew the JCPOA and lift Washington's sanctions against Tehran. In December 2021, the parties reached an agreement on two draft agreements, in which the European side included the positions of Iran. Iranian spokesman Bagheri Kyani said the talks were going well, but US State Department spokesman Ned Price assessed the progress in Vienna as modest, urging Tehran to take the matter seriously.