Iran Hits Back at France for Stance on IAEA Report
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Foreign Ministry of Iran slammed as “interfering and worthless” the French Foreign Ministry’s stance on the IAEA’s latest report on Iranian nuclear activity, saying such hasty and politically-motivated views ignore Tehran’s constructive cooperation with the UN nuclear agency.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh deplored the French Foreign Ministry’s stance in reference to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s most recent report about Iran.
In a public statement on Tuesday, France’s Foreign Ministry called on Iran to answer the IAEA queries after the contents of an IAEA report on Tehran’s nuclear activities were allegedly leaked to the media on Monday. France has also encouraged Iran to respond to questions from the UN nuclear agency on its prior nuclear activity as soon as possible.
In response, Khatibzadeh reiterated that while the IAEA’s new report does not reflect the reality of Iran’s interaction with the UN nuclear watchdog at all, France’s “hasty and politically-oriented” comments that have totally ignored Iran’s extensive and constructive technical cooperation with the IAEA are “interfering and worthless”.
“The format and nature of such (French) comments and measures that are made as part of psychological operations to prepare the ground for exerting pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran ahead of the meetings of the (International Atomic Energy) Agency’s Board of Governors are absolutely familiar to us,” the spokesman said.
He also noted that the coincidence and conformity of France’s stances with the Zionist regime’s recent moves have further laid bare the role of Israel in this regard.
“As we have always advised the Agency (IAEA) to remain loyal to the course of technical cooperation (with Iran), we also advise countries like France to avoid the stances and interferences that divert the cooperation (between Iran and the IAEA) from the right track, and, instead, honor their Safeguards commitments to nuclear disarmament and to holding the apartheid Israeli regime accountable which has hundreds of nuclear warheads,” Khatibzadeh stated.
Highlighting Iran’s completely peaceful nuclear program, the spokesman said the Islamic Republic will give a “firm and proportional response to any unconstructive measure” by the IAEA Board of Governors, warning that the responsibility for the consequences would lie with the parties that regard the Board of Governors and the IAEA secretary-general’s report as a leverage and tool for their political games against Iran.
