Tehran : Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said that he hopes the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) can adopt a “professional” approach to the Iranian nuclear issue and prevent certain countries from affecting the nuclear watchdog’s decisions.

Raisi made the remarks on Saturday in a meeting with visiting Director General of the IAEA Rafael Grossi in the capital Tehran, according to a report on the website of the president’s office.

Countries like Israel and the US use the nuclear issue as an “excuse” to further pressure the Iranian people, said the President, pointing out that it was the US that violated the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, Xinhua news agency reported.

Iran has had “the highest level” of cooperation with the IAEA, expects the agency to tell the truth about Iran’s nuclear programme as well the country’s commitment ot its regulations, he noted.

Meanwhile, the IAEA Chief expressed pleasure at visiting Iran and meeting the country’s President, saying the IAEA’s team led by himself had “constructive and positive” meetings with the Iranian side, according to the report.

Grossi arrived in Tehran on Friday for a two-day visit, during which he also held talks with Mohammad Eslami, President of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

In recent months, the IAEA has criticised Iran for its lack of cooperation with the agency.

In November 2020, the IAEA’s Board of Governors passed a resolution proposed by the US, Britain, France and Germany that called on Iran to collaborate with the agency’s investigators regarding the alleged “traces of uranium” at a number of its “undeclared” sites.

Iran has repeatedly rejected such allegations and emphasised the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme. — IANS