Iran: IAEA credibility in jeopardy

The deviation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from its legal framework can put the agency’s credibility in jeopardy, says a senior Iranian lawmaker.

Spokesman for the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Kazem Jalali said on Monday that the involvement of the IAEA in politics and deviation from its legal framework can inflict serious damage on its function and credibility.

“A technical organization such as the IAEA should act based on legal perceptions, but unfortunately its track record has been negative so far,” ISNA quoted Jalali as saying.

The Islamic Republic says it has been fully cooperative with the IAEA, rejecting claims which question Iran’s cooperation with the agency.

Iran has been critical of the UN agency for making its nuclear case political by passing its dossier to the UN Security Council (UNSC).

Tehran says the UN agency’s latest report on Iran’s nuclear program has been politically motivated.

The Islamic Republic, however, argues that it will continue its cooperation with the IAEA in accordance with the signed agreements and not beyond that.

Iran rejects the US and the West’s allegations that its nuclear program harbors a secret military program, insisting that it is entitled to benefit from peaceful and civilian nuclear energy.