The one-month extension to the 'temporary technical understanding' between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency expired on 24 June and Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters in Tehran today that no decision had yet been made on whether or not to continue with the arrangement.

The lack of progress in clarifying the International Atomic Energy Agency's questions concerning the correctness and completeness of Iran's safeguards declarations seriously affects the ability of the IAEA to provide assurance of the peaceful nature of the country's nuclear programme, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today in his opening statement to the quarterly session of the IAEA Board of Governors.

Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency have agreed to extend their 'temporary technical understanding' by one month, until 24 June. At a press briefing held today to announce the extension, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the understanding announced in February had "left the door ajar" and the extension meant it "stayed ajar, for now".

Iran on 17 April began enriching uranium up to 60%, after previously notifying the International Atomic Energy Agency of its intention to do so. Enrichment to 60% uranium-235 is being carried out in two cascades of IR-4 and IR-6 centrifuges at the Natanz facility.

While the UK remains committed to making the Iran nuclear deal a success, Tehran must stop all activity that breaches the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and come back into compliance, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during their telephone call yesterday. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly said the Biden Administration is unwilling to compromise further on efforts to encourage Tehran to hold talks with the USA.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, today announced a new agreement with Tehran for a face-to-face meeting between technical experts to take place early next month. At a press conference convened at short notice and live-streamed from the IAEA's headquarters in Vienna, Grossi said the aim of the agreement is for the agency and Iran to stop "talking past each other". 

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, says "the time is not ripe" for an unofficial meeting proposed by Josep Borrell, EU foreign affairs chief and coordinator of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. His statement follows Iran's commencement last week of restrictions on some site inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action now have three months within which to navigate the impasse created by a law passed by the Iranian parliament late last year. In a joint statement yesterday, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran confirmed that Iran will stop the implementation of the voluntary measures as envisaged in the JCPoA from tomorrow, thus enabling the AEOI to comply with the law - Strategic Action to Cease Actions and Protect the Interests of the Iranian Nation.

The E3 - France, Germany and the UK - has welcomed the prospect of a US and Iranian return to compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The E3 foreign ministers and the US secretary of state held a virtual meeting yesterday to discuss Iran and other pressing issues. It was the second time in this format since Secretary Antony Blinken took office.

Iran has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it will stop implementing ‘voluntary transparency measures’ under the 2015 nuclear deal. Specifically, Tehran says it will halt snap nuclear inspections outside of its declared sites as of 23 February.

The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran has announced plans to install 1000 new IR2M centrifuge machines at the Natanz nuclear site in the next three months, AEOI spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi told reporters gathered for Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf’s visit to the Fordow plant yesterday. According to the Fars news agency, Kamalvandi said Iran is enriching uranium using 100% indigenous technology.

Iran has no credible civilian use for uranium metal and must reverse its latest move towards increased enrichment, the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the UK - the E3 countries - said on 16 January. In response, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran said it wanted the International Atomic Energy Agency to "avoid mentioning unnecessary details".