Via Gulf News -
Tehran: Iran said on Sunday it might have to limit its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, criticising the agency's report which said Tehran's alleged research into nuclear warheads was a matter of serious concern.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in a May 26 report, also said Tehran should provide more information on its missile-related work.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tehran believed the UN agency could have submitted a better report had it not been for the "continuing pressures of one or two known countries," in a clear reference to Tehran's Western foes.
The United States accuses the Islamic Republic of seeking to develop nuclear arms. Iran denies the charge but its refusal to suspend sensitive nuclear work has prompted three rounds of UN sanctions since 2006.
"In regard to this report, we of course had more expectations from the agency," spokesman Mohammad Ali Hussaini told a news conference, a day before the IAEA's board of governors begin a June 2-6 meeting in Vienna.
He added: "The trend of cooperation ... should continue in a way that, as Dr Larijani pointed out, the parliament and the Islamic Republic of Iran would not be compelled to review the going trend of the cooperation and adopt new limitations."
He was referring to Iran's new parliament speaker Ali Larijani, who on Wednesday said the current levels of cooperation with the IAEA were in jeopardy if major powers continued to "kick around" Iran's disputed nuclear case.
Iran in 2006 ended voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Non-proliferation Treaty that allowed for short notice IAEA inspections of its nuclear sites.
You shuoldn't believe what you read. The IAEA report said that the allegations were of serious concern, but that Iran had submitted replies to the IAEA that they were assessing, that that the IAEA didn't have any actual evidence itself to back up these allegations.
ReplyDeleteRead http://www.iranaffairs.com for the details of how the media are mischaracterizing the IAEA report.
Very true, but the report keeps going....
ReplyDeleteAlthough Iran has provided some additional detailed information about its current activities on an ad hoc basis, the Agency will not be in a position to make progress towards providing credible assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran before reaching some clarity about the nature of the alleged studies, and without implementation of the Additional Protocol. This is especially important in the light of the many years of undeclared activities in Iran and the confidence deficit
created as a result. The Director General therefore urges Iran to implement all necessary measures called for by the Board of Governors and the Security Council to build confidence in the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme.
Morever...
Contrary to the decisions of the Security Council, Iran has not suspended its enrichment related activities, having continued the operation of PFEP and FEP. In addition, Iran started the development of new generation centrifuges. Iran has also continued construction of the IR-40 reactor and operation of the Heavy Water Production Plant.
So we will have to wait and see what the just submitted IAEA report has to say on the issue.
Should I believe what Iran's News Agency puts out?
"Iran has removed any so-called 'concerns' or 'ambiguities' with regard to its peaceful nuclear activities in the past and at present," the Iranian Embassy in London said following the publication of the latest IAEA report.