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Iran: IAEA in credibility crisis

Head of Iran’s nuclear agency insists that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is suffering from a crisis of “moral authority and credibility.”

Maintaining the credibility of the verification process should not be politically motivated or influenced by double standards, said Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi, addressing IAEA’s General Conference in Vienna on Monday.

“It seems [however] that the agency is suffering from a crisis of moral authority and credibility,” IRNA quoted Salehi as saying.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always tried to have the utmost cooperation and interaction with the agency according to its legal obligation and has made honest efforts to conduct its peaceful nuclear activities within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Safeguards.”

Salehi emphasized that despite Iran’s cooperating efforts and strong evidence of non-diversion in its peaceful nuclear activities, the IAEA has unfortunately demonstrated a negative response.

“For example, there are some points in the [IAEA] director general’s recent report which are not consistent with the norms and procedures of the agency regulations and not based on justice and impartiality.”

The Iranian nuclear chief said these facts imply that certain powers are exerting political pressure on the “distinctive international technical authority.”

According to the IAEA Statute, technical cooperation and assistance should not be influenced by political conditions; however, “interference and political influence have regrettably marred [technical cooperation,” he said

Salehi explained that due to the political pressures of a few countries, the IAEA Secretariat has imposed “certain unjustifiable limitations” on Iran regarding Tehran’s cooperation in the agency’s nuclear activity safety programs.

Nuclear safety is of international importance and any negligence in this regard can lead to a nuclear disaster with global consequences, and these unforgivable limitations are certainly in contrast with the agency’s claims on strengthening global nuclear safety, Salehi concluded.

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