President slams Europe’s ‘unconstructive’ anti-Iran approach at IAEA
Meeting his French counterpart, President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi hits out at the European countries for having pursued a resolution against Tehran’s nuclear program at the UN nuclear watchdog amid diplomatic efforts aimed at reviving the 2015 agreement.
According to Press TV, the President sat down for talks on Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
During the talks, Raeisi described the outstanding issues between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a “serious obstacle” to a final agreement on the restoration of the 2015 deal.
“The Agency’s approach to issues should be technical and free from the other parties’ pressures and influence. We believe it is not possible to reach an agreement without the closure of Iran’s dossiers” at the IAEA, he added.
The President criticized a move by France, Germany and the UK — the three European signatories to the Iran deal — for having called for the adoption of a resolution at the latest meeting of the IAEA’s Board of Governors earlier this month, describing it as an “unconstructive” approach that further complicates the matters.
“With its inspection and supervision, the IAEA officially admitted 15 times that Iran’s activities lie within the commitments and far from any diversion,” he said.
The Iranian president further noted that the agency’s dual approach to the destructive nuclear activities of the Israeli regime is a sign of a “politicization” of matters.
On Monday, France said it seeks to persuade Iran to accept Europe's proposals to revive the historic nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
In a phone conversation with Macron, Raiesi had already criticized the US for abandoning the accord and re-imposing sweeping sanctions against the country, saying Washington has clearly violated its commitments under the nuclear deal.
He also emphasized that the US and European countries must implement their commitments under the JCPOA, stressing that “In any negotiation, the rights of the Iranian nation should be secured and guaranteed."
Macron has held several telephone conversations with his Iranian counterpart Raeisi over the issue in recent months.
On Monday, he underlined that there would not be a better offer for Iran to revive a nuclear deal with world powers and it was up to Tehran to make a decision now.
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