Tehran condemns IAEA decision, continuing peaceful nuclear energy use

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
6 Jun 2024 03:26

Iran considers the IAEA's decision to be 'politically motivated' and reaffirms that such decisions will only negatively impact diplomatic relations and global cooperation.

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Iran's permanent representative to the international organizations in Vienna, Mohsen Naziri Asl, attends an IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Austria, on Wednesday, November 22, 2023. (AP)

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the decision adopted by some countries at the meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors against Iran, calling the vote on this decision "an unconstructive political move, and a continuation of the failed policies taken by some Western countries in the past."

The ministry affirmed that "the adoption of this decision will never affect Iran's determination to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and to develop its nuclear projects in accordance with international treaties."

In turn, Iran's representative to the United Nations stated that "the IAEA decision taken by Western countries was hasty and lacked wisdom," noting that "it will undoubtedly negatively affect diplomatic relations and constructive cooperation."

Mohsen Naziri Asl, Iran's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, commented on the IAEA Board of Governors' decision, stating that "the three European countries that proposed the draft resolution are responsible for the negative consequences of this behavior, which will strongly impact Iran's dealings with the IAEA."

He added that "this decision gives the Israeli entity enough opportunity to continue its genocide against the residents of Gaza, but it will not deter Iran from continuing its peaceful nuclear program."

In turn, Iranian news outlets underscored that the IAEA Board of Governors' decision against Iran was issued despite the opposition of 14 countries, including China and Russia, which rejected the decision, and the abstention of India, Indonesia, Kenya, Namibia, Qatar, Turkey, Algeria, Armenia, Burkina Faso, Bangladesh, and South Africa.

Iran vows response if nuclear watchdog approves censure: AEOI chief

Earlier, on Tuesday, Iran threatened to respond if the UN nuclear watchdog approves a new censure resolution proposed by three European governments, Iranian media reported.

"In case of issuing a resolution against Iran in the board of governors and political pressure from the parties, Iran will respond according to the announcement it made to them," the Iranian Fars news agency quoted Mohammad Eslami, the chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), as saying.

Britain, France, and Germany submitted a draft resolution to the International Atomic Energy Agency's board on Monday, condemning what they called Iran's failure to fully cooperate with the watchdog and demanding more accountability.

At the last IAEA board meeting in March, European powers shelved their plans to pressure Iran due to a lack of US support amid rising tensions in West Asia, including the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza and the Iranian retaliation to the Israeli strike that targeted the country's consulate in Syria.

The IAEA board has not passed a resolution criticizing Iran since November 2022, when the latter responded by stepping up its enrichment of uranium. Iran suspended its compliance with caps on its nuclear activities set by a landmark 2015 deal with major powers, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), after the United States unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed sweeping sanctions.

Based on the deal, Eslami pointed out that "If the other parties do not return to their commitments, Iran has the right to reciprocally reduce its obligations, and now the country is in the phase of reducing them."

In early May, the AEOI chief pointed out to Al Mayadeen that the United States and the European Troika violated the nuclear agreement, while his country unilaterally continued to honor its commitments for a certain period.