IAEA resolution ’counterproductive’
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s board of governors passed a resolution criticizing Iran’s lack of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, three diplomats told AFP on Wednesday.
The motion brought by Britain, France and Germany – but voted against by China and Russia – is the latest of its kind in 18 months.
Hours earlier, Iran’s acting foreign minister said certain member states’ exploitation of the UN agency for their political goals will definitely harm its identity.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Ali Baqeri Kani said the IAEA is a technical agency and all countries, including the member states of the IAEA board of governors, are expected to act based on the agency’s technical approach.
“The non-constructive approach of some member countries in exploiting the agency’s capacity in pursuit of their political goals will definitely harm the identity of the agency, as well as the role-playing of the organization,” he stated.
Baqeri Kani further said Iran has always advised different countries to allow the agency to continue its technical role and not turn it into a place for settling political scores.
A group of Iran’s allies had earlier warned against adoption of the anti-Tehran resolution. They said such a miscalculation would have counterproductive repercussions.
Adoption of a resolution against a country which has recently recovered from the tragic passing of its president and foreign minister is out of diplomatic etiquette. Political brinkmanship in light of international efforts to handle Iran’s nuclear case is not constructive, they said in a statement.
The group went on to call upon the board of governors to work towards putting Iran’s nuclear issue back on the rails, and encourage further dialogue and constructive cooperation between the IAEA and the Islamic Republic.
Iran and world powers reached a landmark nuclear agreement in 2015, under which Tehran curbed parts of its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of sanctions imposed on the Iranian economy.
Tehran started to suspend some of its obligations under the agreement in 2019, a year after the US government, under Donald Trump, abandoned the deal and reinstated sanctions on Iran.