Iran hopes for nuclear talks sans 'political pressure'

TEHRAN, Nov 18 (AFP): Iran said Monday it hoped talks on its nuclear programme would be conducted "away from political pressure and considerations" ahead of a UN nuclear agency board meeting this week.

"All our efforts and our emphasis in our talks were to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to do its technical work away from the destructive and evil pressures of some parties," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told reporters in his weekly press conference.

Agency chief Rafael Grossi travelled on Wednesday to Iran for talks with top officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The visit came ahead of a meeting of the IAEA's board of governors this week in Vienna, in which the UK, Germany and France are expected to pass a new resolution critical of Iran.

Baghaei expressed hopes that the parties would "allow the issues between Iran and the agency to continue in a technical way and away from political pressures and considerations".

He hailed Grossi's visit as "beneficial and positive", saying it brought "good understandings" between Tehran and the agency.

Pezeshkian said during his meeting with Grossi that Tehran was willing to resolve "doubts and ambiguities" over its nuclear programme.

A landmark 2015 deal between Iran and world powers granted it much-needed relief from sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme, which it has always maintained is for peaceful purposes.

But the accord collapsed and sanctions were reinstated following the United States' unilateral withdrawal in 2018 under Donald Trump.