A nuclear deal with Iran will not be reached if the International Atomic Energy Agency continues to investigate undeclared nuclear sites, a spokesman for the Islamic Republic's negotiating team said on Tuesday.
"No deal will be implemented before the IAEA Board of Governors PERMANENTLY closes the false accusations file," Seyed Mohammad Marandi tweeted.
Marandi also wrote that "Iran's nuclear program will not be dismantled," though that was not reported to be part of the deal.
The Iranian representative made the statement in response to a Reuters response that Iran dropped its demand to close the probe. Iran did not comment on the IAEA investigation in its response to the latest draft of the nuclear deal, which it sent to the EU last week.
"Of course, this doesn't mean Iran won't cooperate to help close the case," Marandi added in a subsequent tweet.
A day earlier, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said that his agency will not end the investigation into traces of enriched uranium found in undeclared locations until Iran cooperates.
“So far, Iran has not given us the technically credible explanations that we need to explain the origin of many traces of uranium, the presence of equipment at places,” Grossi told CNN.
"Let us have an explanation," Grossi said. "If there was nuclear material there, where is it now? If there was equipment there, where is it now?”
