Iran Raps Members for Pressuring IAEA to Release Technical Issues before Conclusion

Iran’s Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency Ali Asqar Soltaniyeh blasted certain members of the IAEA for pressuring the UN nuclear watchdog to release the technical aspects of other members’ nuclear program before completion and conclusion.

“When the totally technical issues are publicized, it leads to a political hue and cry, which impedes the progress of the work,” Soltaniyeh said, adding it will also undermine the IAEA’s credibility as well as the trust between the member states and the secretariat.

He said after a briefing session of the IAEA on Wednesday that he criticized certain IAEA member states for exerting pressure on the agency’s secretariat to publicize the technical issues before all analyses and studies are completed and scientific conclusions are drawn.

Soltaniyeh also criticized attempts to make a political fuss over completely technical issues in the IAEA reports on Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

“Iran and the Agency can resume their professional job and settle issues only without a political and media hue and cry,” the Iranian envoy said.

The meeting of 35-member Board of Governors will convene on Monday. IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano’s latest report on Iran will be discussed in the meeting.

An IAEA briefing session is usually held before the meeting of the Board of Governors on IAEA reports.

During the briefing session, the deputy director-general of the IAEA provides explanations on the latest reports and responds to technical questions.