Iran said on Monday that unless the other parties to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) fulfill their obligations under it by next week, it will block International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors’ access to its nuclear sites.
“If others do not fulfill their obligations by Feb. 21, the government is obliged to suspend the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh, according to a Reuters report.
A law passed by the Iranian Parliament last year requires the revocation of IAEA inspectors’ access on Feb. 21 unless the United States lifts its economic sanctions
Khatibzadeh emphasized that implementing the law would not mean ending all IAEA inspections, adding, “All these steps are reversible if the other party changes its path and honors its obligations,” referring to the United States.
The Biden administration is looking to return to the JCPOA, which the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from in May 2018. It then reimposed sanctions on Iran and added new ones as part of its “maximum pressure” campaign.
