Amano remarks insult to inspectors

The remarks by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over Iran’s barring of two inspectors are an insult to all the agency’s inspectors, Iran’s nuclear chief says.

“If [IAEA Chief Yukiya] Amano stated the remarks deliberately, it is excessively dangerous since it indicates that he has been under political coercion and surrendered to such pressures,” Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi, told IRNA on Monday.

Last week, Iran barred two IAEA inspectors from entering the country on the grounds that they had leaked information to the media before the official issuance of the agency’s latest report on Iran’s nuclear program. The inspectors in question were not named.

Amano on Monday expressed regret about Iran’s decision to bar the two inspectors, claiming that Tehran’s objections would “hamper the inspection process,” AFP reported.

While the IAEA has some 150 inspectors, the head of the agency insists on the presence of two inspectors. This is an insult to all other inspectors who have the required expertise, Salehi went on to say.

The Iranian atomic chief noted that all countries are entitled to choose a number of inspectors from the IAEA list, as many Western countries omit Asian inspectors from their list.

He stated that Amano has made a grave mistake and therefore “should spend time getting familiar with the agency’s regulations.”

According to Salehi, Amano won the IAEA’s election for Secretary General last year with a very narrow margin because there was a notion that he could be easily swayed by certain countries.

“So far, Amano has unfortunately shown that he is not acting according to the agency’s regulations and exerts his personal stance,” Salehi expressed.

The Iranian official further pointed out that when the former IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei mentioned claims against Iran in his reports, he would also state that he does not confirm the authenticity of such claims, but Amano has omitted the latter from his reports.

“Unfortunately, instead of submitting a legal and technical report, Amano releases the contents of the UN Security Council resolutions, while ElBaradei never did that despite the political pressures exerted on him,” Salehi concluded.