Iran FM: Political Interference in IAEA’s Technical Affairs “Unconstructive”

By Staff, Agencies

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has described any political interference in the technical affairs of the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] as “unconstructive,” stressing the need for avoiding political approaches in the forthcoming meeting of the Agency’s Board of Governors.

Iran’s top diplomat made the remarks in a Thursday phone call with his Singaporean counterpart, Vivian Balakrishnan, during which the two sides discussed bilateral relations and other issues of mutual interest.

During the call, Amir-Abdollahian said an end should be put to the creation of “artificial and unconstructive circumstances” during the forthcoming meeting of IAEA’s Board of Governors.

“The process of technical cooperation between the Agency and the Atomic Energy Organization [of Iran] and the frequent emphasis put on the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program by the Agency cannot be reversed all of a sudden and through a hasty political statement,” Amir Abdollahian said.

“During the recent visit to Iran by [Director General of the IAEA Rafael] Grossi, we reached a mutually satisfactory agreement through a positive process. We believe that political interference in the technical affairs of the Agency is totally unconstructive,” Iran’s foreign minister added.

Amir Abdollahian emphasized that Iran is serious about achieving a “good, lasting and strong” agreement in the negotiations held in the Austrian capital city of Vienna to revive the landmark 2015 deal.

“An agreement is within reach, provided that all parties [to the Vienna talks] commit to diplomacy and their obligations in a realistic manner and avoid posing threats,” Iran’s foreign minister said.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has already warned to respond strongly and proportionately to any “unconstructive move” at the upcoming meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog, which will be held on June 6.

The meeting comes as a pause in the marathon negotiations to revive the 2015 Iran deal enters its third month, with prospects described by Washington as “tenuous at best” while Iran blames the US and its three European allies – France, Britain, and Germany – for failing to act constructively.

Under the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA], Iran accepted certain caps on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of international sanctions.

The US, however, unilaterally abandoned the deal in 2018 and re-imposed crippling sanctions despite Tehran’s full compliance with its share of obligations.