TEHRAN, Jun 1 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran, yesterday, dismissed a report by the UN nuclear watchdog as, “politically motivated and lacking balance,” saying, it failed to “accurately reflect the scale of Tehran’s cooperation” with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
In a joint statement issued by the Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, Tehran criticised the report – compiled by IAEA Director General, Rafael Grossi, at the request of the agency’s 35-member Board of Governors – as misleading. The report was leaked to media outlets earlier in the day.
The IAEA document said, Iran had not fully accounted for nuclear material found at three undeclared sites and continued to provide “less than satisfactory” cooperation. It also flagged unresolved questions over uranium traces discovered in past years at several locations.
The report comes amid indirect U.S.-Iran talks, mediated by Oman, with five rounds of discussions held since Apr – three in Muscat and two in Rome – focused on Iran’s nuclear programme and the potential lifting of U.S. sanctions.
Iran maintained it had engaged constructively with the agency under the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement.
“Unfortunately, despite this extensive cooperation, the report fails to accurately reflect the level of Iran’s engagement,” the statement said, adding that, the document blurred the line between Iran’s legal obligations under the NPT and its voluntary commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Tehran also accused the United States, Britain, France, and Germany of repeatedly breaching the JCPOA and UN Security Council Resolution 2231 through “illegal” sanctions and political pressure.
Iran condemned the report as a product of external influence and warned that, if it is used to justify further action against Tehran at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting on Jun 9, it would respond with “appropriate countermeasures” to protect its legitimate rights and interests.– NNN-IRNA
