Iran warns IAEA Board against falling under US, Israeli pressure

Iran's Foreign Ministry has warned the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Board of Governors against targeting Tehran under pressure from the United States and Israel.

“Should an unconstructive decision as such be taken, Iran is likely to respond with a proportionate reaction,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said in Tehran on Monday during a regular press briefing, adding, “They can probably guess what Iran’s reaction will be.”

According to Press TV, the Board is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting and discuss a range of matters later Monday, but a controversial report that the IAEA recently released about Iran is expected to take center stage.

The report apparently alleged that “Iran has for months blocked inspections at two sites where nuclear activity may have occurred in the past,” AFP reported earlier in the month.

The Islamic Republic, however, strongly rejects any allegations of non-cooperation with the IAEA, insisting that it is prepared to resolve any potentially outstanding differences with the United Nations nuclear agency. 

“The basis of the meeting is allegations made by the Zionist regime,” Mousavi said, denouncing the IAEA for acting on Israel’s claims. The Agency should instead retain its neutrality and base its reports on concrete and legally-obtained information.

Tel Aviv and Washington are notorious for continually alleging the existence of diversionary aspects to Iran’s nuclear activities. This is while the Agency has closed a dossier addressing “possible military dimensions” of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear energy program.

“They are opening up a closed case. The basis for their allegations is the information that is claimed to have been obtained through espionage by the Zionist regime and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu,” Mousavi said.

The spokesman called it “regrettable” that the Agency has chosen to ignore Tehran’s long history of cooperation with it in favor of the accusations leveled by the Israeli regime, which is infamous for its antagonism towards Iran’s Islamic establishment and the international order.

However, the official hoped that the Board of Governors’ meeting would not lead to the issuance of any resolution targeting Iran, cautioning that such a decision “would somehow complicate Iran’s cooperation with the Agency.”

ME