IAEA report of Iran’s non-compliance ‘big lie’: Nuclear chief
Tehran says flouting E3 ‘in no position’ to make threats
Iran’s nuclear chief has dismissed as “a big lie” the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s recent report on the country’s nuclear program, stressing that presenting “false” reports will only tarnish the credibility of the agency.
A recent report by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on Iran’s nuclear program claimed that Tehran had failed to report its nuclear activities at three undeclared locations and raised concerns about the country’s stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60 percent purity.
“The claim that the Islamic Republic of Iran has not fulfilled its commitments under the Safeguards Agreement is a big lie,” Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said on Wednesday.
“There is no evidence in this regard. There is not a single report from the IAEA inspectors that indicates Iran’s opposition or obstruction in carrying out their duties,” Eslami said.
The Iranian nuclear chief further censured the provocative move by the United States and European trio of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany (E3) to draft a resolution against Iran at the IAEA Board of Governors, warning that if a confrontational approach is adopted, the Islamic Republic will also take countermeasures.
He further emphasized that during 2023 and 2024, more than 427 inspections of Iranian facilities were conducted, which is “unprecedented” in the history of nuclear activities worldwide.
The Iranian official also noted that the IAEA’s cameras are installed at all the country’s nuclear facilities, stressing that no activity is carried out without the agency’s supervision and inspection.
E3 in blatant violation of Resolution 2231, JCPOA: Najafi
Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna, stressed that since the three European states are in blatant violation of Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA, they are neither legally nor morally entitled to trigger the JCPOA and Resolution 2231 dispute resolution mechanism.
Responding to the threat of snapback by the E3, Reza Najafi laid out Iran’s stance on Wednesday during the IAEA Board of Governors meeting regarding the agency’s report on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231.
As Najafi noted, by imposing sanctions and restrictive measures against Iran, the European troika are severely undermining the JCPOA and UNSC Resolution 2231.
He specifically termed their decision to refrain from implementing the sanction relief commitments specified in the JCPOA on the transition day in October 2023 as an illegal act and a clear example of their significant non-compliance.
Najafi also pointed out that the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a committed NPT member and based on the longstanding fatwa (religious decree) issued by the Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, “will not pursue nuclear weapons.”
In its statement issued later at the meeting, the EU urged Iran “to resume the provisional implementation and bring into force the Additional Protocol to its Safeguards Agreement, to assist the Agency to provide credible assurances on the absence of undeclared nuclear activities”.
The Iranian envoy once again stressed that Iran’s nuclear activities, including enrichment and stockpiling at various levels, are “entirely peaceful and in line with its legitimate rights under the NPT, and are subject to IAEA safeguards and verification.”
Najafi, while expressing serious concerns about the content of the IAEA director general’s recent report, stressed that the issues raised in the report did not happen in a vacuum and should not be interpreted separately from the root causes surrounding the current situation regarding UNSC Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA.
“I wish to emphasize that Iran believes a diplomatic deal is achievable if Iran’s legitimate rights, including domestic enrichment, are respected and recognized.”