BERLIN (kayhan Intl.) — The head of the United Nations’ atomic agency said Monday that Iran must provide inspectors access to sites which is thought based on U.S. and Israeli claims to have stored or used undeclared nuclear material.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mariano Grossi told reporters after a meeting of the agency’s board in Vienna that he had made his case with "Iranian authorities at higher levels.”
"We need this cooperation,” he said. "I regret that at this point we have this disagreement.”
Grossi told the board that for more than four months "Iran has denied us access to two locations and that, for almost a year, it has not engaged in substantive discussions to clarify our questions related to possible undeclared nuclear material and nuclear-related activities.”
Grossi’s comments underlined the agency’s written report to members earlier this month about access to two of three locations it identified in March.
Iranian officials have said the country has responded to all outstanding questions about its nuclear activities, with its 2015 nuclear agreement being testimony to that.
The new questions, the officials say, have been raised based on fabricated information by the occupying regime of Israel which is a staunch enemy of the Iranian nation.
In his introductory statement to the IAEA Board of Governors, Grossi confirmed that Iran had informed the agency in January of its decision not to make its nuclear program "subject to any restrictions in the operational sphere.”
Iran made the announcement after the European signatories to the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), failed to take steps to ensure that Tehran benefit from the deal following Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from the accord in May 2018.
"To date, the Agency has not observed any changes to Iran’s implementation of its nuclear-related commitments in connection with this particular announcement, or in the level of cooperation by Iran in relation to Agency verification and monitoring activities under the JCPOA,” Grossi said.
The IAEA chief noted that the agency "continues to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material declared by Iran under its Safeguards Agreement”, adding that evaluations regarding the absence of the so-called undeclared nuclear material and activities for Iran will also continue.
Grossi, however, claimed that "for over four months, Iran has denied us access to two locations” that the IAEA had asked for access to, urging Tehran to cooperate with the agency, "including by providing prompt access to the locations specified by us.”
Earlier Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry warned the Board of Governors not to target the Islamic Republic under pressure from the United States and the occupying regime of Israel.
Mousavi said the basis of the Monday meeting was allegations made by the Zionist regime, denouncing the IAEA for acting on Israel’s claims. The agency, he said, should maintain its neutrality and base its reports on concrete and legally-obtained information.
"They are opening a closed case. The basis for their allegations is the information that is claimed to have
been obtained through espionage by the Zionist regime and (Israeli PM Benjamin) Netanyahu,” ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said.
"Should an unconstructive decision be taken, Iran is likely to respond with a proportionate reaction,” he said during a regular press briefing, adding, "They can probably guess what Iran’s reaction will be.”
Tel Aviv and Washington are notorious for continually alleging the existence of diversionary aspects to Iran’s nuclear activities. This is while the agency has closed a dossier addressing "possible military dimensions” of Iran’s nuclear energy program.
Iran’s mission to the IAEA announced in March that the country would not allow Israeli allegations based on what Tel Aviv claims as findings of a so-called secret operation to form the basis of Tehran’s cooperation with the UN nuclear agency.
Mousavi on Monday regretted that the agency has chosen to ignore Iran’s long history of cooperation with the IAEA in favor of the Israeli accusations.
The spokesman hoped that the meeting would not issue any resolution against Iran, warning that such a move "would somehow complicate Iran’s cooperation with the agency.”
The meeting comes in the wake of a UN report last week, claiming that cruise missiles used in attacks on oil facilities and an airport in Saudi Arabia last year were of "Iranian origin”.
On Friday, Iran denied the allegations by the UN Secretariat, saying they appeared to have been made "under political pressure from the U.S. and Saudi regimes.”
Iran has questioned the timing of the allegations, saying they interestingly come at a time when the United States is working to draft a dangerous resolution to extend an arms embargo against Iran.
"We need this cooperation,” he said. "I regret that at this point we have this disagreement.”
Grossi told the board that for more than four months "Iran has denied us access to two locations and that, for almost a year, it has not engaged in substantive discussions to clarify our questions related to possible undeclared nuclear material and nuclear-related activities.”
Grossi’s comments underlined the agency’s written report to members earlier this month about access to two of three locations it identified in March.
Iranian officials have said the country has responded to all outstanding questions about its nuclear activities, with its 2015 nuclear agreement being testimony to that.
The new questions, the officials say, have been raised based on fabricated information by the occupying regime of Israel which is a staunch enemy of the Iranian nation.
In his introductory statement to the IAEA Board of Governors, Grossi confirmed that Iran had informed the agency in January of its decision not to make its nuclear program "subject to any restrictions in the operational sphere.”
Iran made the announcement after the European signatories to the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), failed to take steps to ensure that Tehran benefit from the deal following Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from the accord in May 2018.
"To date, the Agency has not observed any changes to Iran’s implementation of its nuclear-related commitments in connection with this particular announcement, or in the level of cooperation by Iran in relation to Agency verification and monitoring activities under the JCPOA,” Grossi said.
The IAEA chief noted that the agency "continues to verify the non-diversion of nuclear material declared by Iran under its Safeguards Agreement”, adding that evaluations regarding the absence of the so-called undeclared nuclear material and activities for Iran will also continue.
Grossi, however, claimed that "for over four months, Iran has denied us access to two locations” that the IAEA had asked for access to, urging Tehran to cooperate with the agency, "including by providing prompt access to the locations specified by us.”
Earlier Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry warned the Board of Governors not to target the Islamic Republic under pressure from the United States and the occupying regime of Israel.
Mousavi said the basis of the Monday meeting was allegations made by the Zionist regime, denouncing the IAEA for acting on Israel’s claims. The agency, he said, should maintain its neutrality and base its reports on concrete and legally-obtained information.
"They are opening a closed case. The basis for their allegations is the information that is claimed to have
been obtained through espionage by the Zionist regime and (Israeli PM Benjamin) Netanyahu,” ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said.
"Should an unconstructive decision be taken, Iran is likely to respond with a proportionate reaction,” he said during a regular press briefing, adding, "They can probably guess what Iran’s reaction will be.”
Tel Aviv and Washington are notorious for continually alleging the existence of diversionary aspects to Iran’s nuclear activities. This is while the agency has closed a dossier addressing "possible military dimensions” of Iran’s nuclear energy program.
Iran’s mission to the IAEA announced in March that the country would not allow Israeli allegations based on what Tel Aviv claims as findings of a so-called secret operation to form the basis of Tehran’s cooperation with the UN nuclear agency.
Mousavi on Monday regretted that the agency has chosen to ignore Iran’s long history of cooperation with the IAEA in favor of the Israeli accusations.
The spokesman hoped that the meeting would not issue any resolution against Iran, warning that such a move "would somehow complicate Iran’s cooperation with the agency.”
The meeting comes in the wake of a UN report last week, claiming that cruise missiles used in attacks on oil facilities and an airport in Saudi Arabia last year were of "Iranian origin”.
On Friday, Iran denied the allegations by the UN Secretariat, saying they appeared to have been made "under political pressure from the U.S. and Saudi regimes.”
Iran has questioned the timing of the allegations, saying they interestingly come at a time when the United States is working to draft a dangerous resolution to extend an arms embargo against Iran.
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