Iran Foreign Ministry Defends AEOI’s Reaction to IAEA’s Political Approach
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iranian Foreign Ministry defended the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran’s (AEOI) reaction to the UN nuclear chief’s “political and untechnical” attitude towards the Islamic Republic in the wake of his visit to Tel Aviv.
Speaking to reporters at a weekly press conference on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh deplored the anti-Iranian resolution issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors as a “completely political and predesigned” move that obstructs the course of cooperation between Iran and the IAEA.
On the recent visit that IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to Tel Aviv and the change in the tone of his comments, the spokesman said such a shift reveals that the IAEA has received orders from a certain center.
“Definitely, we could not leave such a political and untechnical measure by the IAEA unanswered and (therefore) took our own measures,” he noted.
Hailing Tehran’s decisive and proportional response to the IAEA, Khatibzadeh said the IAEA director general must be concerned about his organization’s impartiality and independence.
It’s a pity that Grossi has allowed the law-breaking Zionist regime to make fun of the IAEA’s structures, he added.
In a statement on June 8, the AEOI said the IAEA’s surveillance cameras recording data beyond the Safeguards Agreement in the country have been deactivated.
The statement said while Tehran has extensively cooperated with the UN nuclear agency, the IAEA has unfortunately ignored the fact that such cooperation signifies Iran’s goodwill, has been ungrateful for the cooperation, and has considered it as a duty of Iran.
Last week, Khatibzadeh slammed the IAEA chief’s visit to Tel Aviv ahead of a meeting of the Board of Governors, warning against “further erosion” of the UN agency’s credibility.