Envoy Says IAEA in No Position to Assess Iran’s Decisions
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The UN nuclear watchdog is only tasked with monitoring and verifying nuclear-related issues under the JCPOA, Iran’s ambassador to Vienna-based international organizations said, noting that analysis and assessment is outside the purview of the IAEA.
“@iaeaorg sole role is to monitor and verify the voluntary nuclear-related measures as detailed in the JCPOA and to provide regular updates in this regard,” Kazem Gharibabadi said in a post on his Twitetr account on Friday.
“Any assessment or analysis is out of the mandate of the Agency,” the Iranian diplomat added.
His comments came after IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told Sky News that Iran should not follow through on threats to increase uranium enrichment and throw out his inspectors.
“If implemented,” Grossi said, “these measures would be an even further deviation from the commitments that Iran entered into when it joined the agreement.”
“I cannot imagine who would win from such a situation. If there was any limitation of the IAEA inspectors as a result of this or any other situation were curtailed in their work,” he added, Tehran Times reported.
The UN nuclear chief was referring to a recent bill that the Iranian lawmakers passed on strategic action for lifting of the sanctions.
According to the newly-ratified law, the Iranian administration is bound to withdraw from the Additional Protocol in case the remaining parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) - France, the UK, Germany, Russia and China- fail to honor their commitments in full within two months, if Iran’s banking relations are not normalized, if the obstacles to the Iranian oil export and sale are not removed, or if the revenues from the sale of crude are not repatriated fully and immediately.