Iran to IAEA: Israeli fabrications no basis for cooperation

Iran says it will not allow Zionist regime allegations, which Tel Aviv claims are rooted in findings of a so-called secret operation, to form the basis of the Islamic Republic’s cooperation with the United Nations nuclear agency.

According to Press TV, Iran’s mission to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) made the remarks in a statement dated Thursday after the watchdog demanded “complementary” access to two sites that are alleged by the Israeli regime to host diversionary nuclear activities.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that merely forwarding some papers based on the Intelligence Services’ fabricated information is not consistent with the Agency’s Statute, Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, and the Additional Protocol,” the mission said.

The Safeguards Agreement between Iran and the IAEA ensures non-diversion of nuclear material declared by the Islamic Republic. The Additional Protocol has also been allowing the agency’s inspectors to carry out more intrusive inspections of Iran's nuclear program.

However, the latter request for such access amounts to the agency’s “taking information at face value,” the mission said.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran does not want to set a bad precedence by giving legitimacy to such alleged information and even considers it counterproductive for the credibility of the Agency, to the detriment of its relations with the Member States,” the statement noted.

Tel Aviv has repeatedly come up with reams of notes and materials of other type that it claims were gleaned by its intelligence operatives and point to Iran’s attempts at militarizing its nuclear energy program.

The IAEA closed a so-called possible military dimensions (PMD) case concerning Iran's nuclear program in December 2015, in a move that showed the Islamic Republic had never diverted its nuclear work.

The Iranian representative mission, meanwhile, reminded that, barring this round, when the agency has failed to “present any credible and reliable legal reasoning” for requesting a visit, the country has provided the agency ample access in the past.

“It is clear that the share of Iran’s inspections in the period of 2009 to 2018 has risen from 38.9 percent to 87.9 percent,” it noted.

Faced with Iran's standpoint, the watchdog has sounded an alarm over what it calls a lack of Iranian cooperation in clearing up its suspicions.

The mission, nevertheless, advised that both the IAEA and its member states should “avoid distorting the bigger picture on cooperation” between Iran and the watchdog, saying that the Islamic Republic has announced its readiness to enter into a political dialogue with the organization that would enhance common understanding.

Israeli allegations against Iran come as the regime is believed to be the only possessor of nuclear weapons in West Asia, but its policy is to neither confirm nor deny having nukes. Estimates show that the regime is currently in possession of 200 to 400 atomic warheads.

SS