Iran: Protecting vital nuclear facilities our right, IAEA must respect our regulations

The Foreign Ministry says the country considers protecting vital nuclear sites and facilities its inalienable right and expects the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to respect regulations it has set for safeguarding such sites.

According to Press TV, Ministry Spokesperson Abbas Mousavi made the remarks in an interview on Thursday after the Islamic Republic’s authorities barred a female IAEA inspector, who had tested positive for suspected traces of explosive nitrates, from entering the Natanz uranium enrichment plant in central Iran on October 28.

“It is imperative for the agency’s inspectors to observe the Islamic Republic of Iran’s regulations as well as the regulations governing our important and vital facilities, because we view it as a right to protect our sensitive centers,” the spokesman noted.

Iran immediately reported the issue to the IAEA and accommodated it with relevant evidence too, he added, saying,” We are awaiting the agency’s response. We hope that the agency has a convincing response.”

If Tehran deems necessary and finds some inspectors, whom the country itself has allowed onto its soil, in default of its laws and regulations or the standing agreements, “It is natural [for the country] to be sensitive, and has to bar their entrance [into its nuclear facilities],” the Iranian official clarified.

According to Iranian Ambassador to the IAEA, Kazem Gharibabadi, a detector for explosive nitrates went off when the inspector attempted to enter the enrichment plant. Iranian authorities repeated the inspection, but detection equipment kept showing that the individual had the substance about her person.

Gharibabadi noted that the woman "sneaked out" to the bathroom while officials looked for a female employee to search her. After her return, the alarms did not go off again, but authorities found contamination in the bathroom and later on her empty handbag during a house search, the envoy said.

Also on Thursday, the acting IAEA director general, Cornel Feruta, said there would be a meeting between the agency and Iranian officials in Tehran in the upcoming week.

SS