TEHRAN, Iran (AP) 鈥� The United Nations' nuclear watchdog and Iran reached a deal Wednesday to reinstall cameras damaged at an Iranian site that manufactures centrifuge parts, though inspectors remain limited on what footage they can access.
The agreement will see cameras put back at Karaj, which came under what . Iran had since refused the International Atomic Energy Agency access to replace cameras damaged in the incident, part of an ongoing hard-line tact taken by Tehran at negotiations underway in Vienna over its tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Iranian media first reported the deal without citing a source. IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi later tweeted out a statement detailing the arrangement.
鈥淭his is important for verification under the Iran nuclear deal, and work will continue to address other outstanding safeguards issues,鈥� Grossi wrote.
The IAEA said the cameras would be reinstalled at Karaj in the 鈥渃oming days.鈥�
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian reportedly said earlier Wednesday that Iran had 鈥渞eached a good agreement鈥� with the IAEA.
Tehran blamed the Karaj assault on Israel amid a widening regional shadow war since former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Iran鈥檚 landmark nuclear accord with world powers.
, Grossi warned that limited access to Karaj hurt international efforts to monitor Iran's program.
鈥淚f the international community through us, through the IAEA, is not seeing clearly how many centrifuges or what is the capacity that they may have ... what you have is a very blurred image,鈥� Grossi said. 鈥淚t will give you the illusion of the real image. But not the real image. This is why this is so important.鈥�
Grossi also dismissed as 鈥渟imply absurd鈥� an Iranian allegation that saboteurs used the IAEA鈥檚 cameras in the attack on the Karaj centrifuge site. Tehran has offered no evidence to support the claim, though it鈥檚 another sign of the friction between inspectors and Iran.
As part of Wednesday's deal, the IAEA said it would 鈥渕ake available a sample camera and related technical information to Iran for analysis by its relevant security and judiciary officials, in the presence of the agency inspectors.鈥�
However, Iran still will keep all recordings from the cameras 鈥� part of .
鈥淭he agency and Iran will continue to work on remaining outstanding safeguards issues with the aim of resolving them,鈥� the IAEA said.
Negotiations continue in Vienna over trying to restore the nuclear deal. However, Iran under hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi has taken a maximalist position in negotiations.
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鈥淲ithout swift progress, in light of Iran鈥檚 fast-forwarding of its nuclear program, the (deal) will very soon become an empty shell,鈥� they recently warned.
The U.S. has remained outside of direct talks since abandoning the accord.
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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Amir Vahdat And Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press