Iran censures Ban Ki-moon for remarks on nuclear energy program

The Iranian ambassador to the UN has censured recent remarks by the UN chief on Iran’s nuclear energy program, saying Ban Ki-moon’s “biased stance” is against international principles.

Mohammad Khazaei said in a letter to the UN secretary general on Friday that it was “unfortunate” that Ban had adopted a stance “in contradiction to his duties and against international principles” on the nature of Iran’s peaceful nuclear energy activities.

In an interview with the Washington Post on Friday, the UN chief claimed that Iran would “use talks as a cover to build a bomb.” The UN Security Council must “show a firm, decisive and effective, quick response,” Ban stated.

The Iranian ambassador called on the UN chief to observe the principles of justice and confidence and use his efforts to resolve international issues through diplomacy.

The Islamic Republic and the P5+1 group – China, Russia, France, Britain, the US and Germany – are scheduled to resume their talks in the Kazakh capital of Almaty on February 26. The last round of the negotiations was held in Moscow in June 2012.

Khazaei also stated that the Islamic Republic asks the UN secretary general to maintain neutrality, adding that impartiality, transparency and equity are among key factors that the UN must observe.

The United States, the Israeli regime and some of their allies have falsely accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program. Iran vehemently rejects the allegation and argues that as a committed signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

The IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of nuclear facilities in Iran. However, the agency has never found any evidence showing that Tehran’s nuclear energy program has been diverted toward non-civilian objectives.