European state partnering with 'Israel' to develop nuclear bomb: AEOI
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Iran’s nuclear chief warns of retaliation if the JCPOA trigger mechanism is activated as he slams the IAEA for bias and reaffirms peaceful nuclear intentions.
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International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi speaks during a joint press briefing with the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Eslami, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, November 14, 2024. (AP)
Iran will take "appropriate decisions at the right time" if the snapback mechanism under the 2015 nuclear deal is activated, Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), warned late Wednesday.
The mechanism, part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), allows for the reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran without a new vote in the Security Council if parties to the deal believe Iran is not complying. Eslami’s remarks came amid mounting tensions over a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Tehran has criticized as politically motivated.
“If other parties choose a confrontational path, Iran will certainly respond with countermeasures,” Eslami said following a weekly cabinet meeting. He dismissed the IAEA’s recent report as “biased and driven by clear political agendas,” and called on the agency to uphold professionalism and neutrality as outlined in its charter.
Iran slams IAEA report as politically driven
Describing the IAEA’s stance as “illogical, untechnical, and unlawful,” Eslami reiterated that Iran would not tolerate “any illegal behavior,” and urged the agency to refrain from further damaging its credibility.
Eslami also revealed that Iran’s Intelligence Ministry plans to release a report based on classified documents exposing Western involvement in the Israeli regime’s nuclear weapons program. “There is a European country actively cooperating with Israel in developing a nuclear bomb,” Eslami alleged, without naming the country.
Eslami emphasized that Iran had voluntarily cooperated with the IAEA in good faith and rejected allegations suggesting otherwise. “There is no evidence proving Iran has failed to cooperate with the agency,” he stated.
Echoing those remarks, Iran’s representative to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, stressed earlier Wednesday that Iran had no intention of developing nuclear weapons. He warned of “serious consequences” if the UN Security Council moves to reimpose sanctions or restrictions.
Iran warns of 'strong response'
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday issued a powerful statement condemning the European signatories of the JCPOA, accusing them of deliberately undermining the agreement for seven consecutive years and warning that Iran will not tolerate further provocations.
"The E3 have had SEVEN YEARS to implement their JCPOA commitments. They have utterly failed, either by design or ineptitude," Araghchi stated on social media, referring to France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
He added that instead of seeking genuine dialogue, the E3 are now "promoting confrontation through the absurd demand that Iran must be punished for exercising its right under the JCPOA to respond to non-performance by counterparts."
His comments came as tensions mount over a politically motivated push by the West at the IAEA to pressure Iran with a censure resolution, an act Tehran has rejected as illegitimate and hostile.
Earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei dismissed the IAEA's latest report as "unfair, unjustified and serving political aims," accusing the agency of acting under Western influence.
