Iran to reinstall surveillance cameras at nuclear facility
Iran will reinstall security cameras at a nuclear facility today following a deal with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The deal will replace surveillance cameras—one of which was damaged in June—at the TESA Karaj complex. Iran baselessly alleged Israel sabotaged the camera to undermine ongoing nuclear talks, then removed the remaining IAEA surveillance cameras and refused to allow their replacement, further inflaming tensions.
The replacement coincides with the resumption of negotiations between Iran and the remaining signatories of the 2015 JCPOA. Former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018, and negotiations halted after the election of a hardline government in Tehran.
The camera’s reinstallation is critical to moving negotiations forward by helping remove doubts over Iran’s actions at TESA. This will improve chances of creating a new draft of the agreement, which will be the basis for any future deal. However, the talks are unlikely to reach a meaningful conclusion soon. Despite prior promises, the Biden administration has yet to re-enter the agreement. While it sees re-entering the JCPOA as critical to a stronger deal, it is unwilling to acquiesce to Tehran’s demands to lift all sanctions. Unless Tehran budges on sanctions, progress is unlikely.
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