Iran censures west-sponsored statement critical of Tehran-IAEA interaction

The statement accused Iran of non-compliance with its safeguards commitments. The document, signed by 62 IAEA member states, called upon Iran to take steps to address outstanding safeguards issues and provide the IAEA with information concerning its new nuclear facilities.

Kanaani said Iran and the IAEA have made “considerable progress” in boosting collaboration based on a joint statement issued in March.

The diplomat added that this course has led to the settlement of several issues, and talks are ongoing on the settlement of other issues, which he stated are of political origins.

The spokesperson stressed that Iran is committed to cooperation with the agency under the safeguards agreement with the IAEA.

“It’s a regret that England, Germany, France and the US, which have certain motivations and positions against Iran, have made Iran-IAEA technical cooperation a subject of their political moves,” he said, adding that the Western states did this in the name of defending the agency and the safeguards, but they aimed to distort the reality of Iran’s sincere cooperation with the agency.

“Of course this measure is not new and also not surprising. In the previous Board of Governors meeting, they had a similar show in the form of verbal attacks and accusations against Iran,” he continued.

Kanaani noted Iran will show reaction to the latest move as soon as possible, stressing that attempts at placing pressure on Iran at the IAEA’s Board of Governors would backfire.

He also hailed a statement in support of the Iran-IAEA cooperation issued by nine countries during the Board of Governors meeting on Wednesday.

That statement, signed by countries including China, Russia, Syria and Venezuela, supported Tehran’s cooperation with the IAEA. It said that Iran’s interactions with the agency should be carried out in a non-political manner, free from external interference, and aimed at resolving the outstanding issues.

Iran has scaled back its commitments under the JCPOA in several phases as stipulated in Articles 26 and 36 of the UN-endorsed accord, starting a year after the US withdrew from the deal and re-imposed its sanctions against Tehran.