Accessibility links

Breaking News

Spokesman Says IAEA Resolution On Full Inspections Sets 'No Obligation' For Iran


Iran's Atomic Energy Organization spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi is seen during an official ceremony to kick-start works for a second nuclear reactor, November 10, 2019
Iran's Atomic Energy Organization spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi is seen during an official ceremony to kick-start works for a second nuclear reactor, November 10, 2019

The spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says the new resolution of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sets "no obligation" for the Islamic Republic.

In a memo published by the country's official news agency, IRNA, on Saturday, June 20, the spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi insisted that the IAEA's request to inspect two sites suspected of nuclear activity in Iran was "based on alleged and forged documents" obtained through "Israeli intelligence operations."

The IAEA passed a resolution in the its board meeting June 18 demanding Iran fully cooperate in allowing its inspectors access to all sites. Russia and China voted against the resolution while Western countries strongly backed the IAEA demand.

In May 2019, the Israeli government announced that during a covert operation, it had stolen "more than half a ton of evidence," including 55,000 documents on 183 CDs, related to secret nuclear research in Iran from a warehouse near the capital city, Tehran. According to the Israelis, the research was part of a secret atomic project coded "Emad".

Earlier, the Islamic Republic officials had dismissed the Israeli prime minister's allegations as "ludicrous" and "bizarre."

In another part of the memo, Kamalvandi maintained that "on average, seven inspectors are present in Iran every day," and "20% of the total nuclear inspections" in the world are carried out in Iran.

Therefore, Kamalvandi has argued, IAEA should not depend on the information "obtained through espionage activities" or claims presented by unreliable sources.

However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says there may have been "undeclared" and "suspicious nuclear activity" in the early 2000s in places in Iran that it now wants to inspect.

XS
SM
MD
LG