IAEA should observe impartiality

A senior Iranian lawmaker has criticized the recent two reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran, saying the agency should observe impartiality.

“As we have already announced, Iran has had very good cooperation with the IAEA even beyond the agency’s regulations. We expect the IAEA to observe complete impartiality in its statements,” a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran’s Parliament (Majlis), Hossein Sobhani-Nia, told ISNA on Saturday.

“However, in its recent two reports, the IAEA head [Yukiya] Amano had a one-sided judgment,” he went on to say.

The parliamentarian also expressed dissatisfaction with the IAEA’s move to send its reports about the country’s nuclear program to “irresponsible” bodies, saying, “Iran will take stance on the issue.”

He further reiterated that the IAEA is a multinational organization belonging to all countries, saying, “Thus, the IAEA inspectors should observe complete impartiality.”

Sobhani-Nia’s remark come as the latest report by the IAEA criticizes Iran for “hampering” the efforts of the agency’s inspectors visiting Iranian nuclear facilities.

In June, the Islamic Republic barred two IAEA inspectors from entering the country. The inspectors in question were not named.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi explained then that the two inspectors had been barred from entry over passing “false information about Iran’s nuclear program to the IAEA and revealing information precipitately.”

IAEA inspectors have conducted more inspections in Iran than in any other NPT signatory state and have confirmed that there has been no diversion of nuclear material from civilian to military applications.