IAEA’s Iran report contrary to Western expectations: Soltanieh

Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says the UN body’s latest report on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear energy program has defied the expectation of some Western countries.

The recent report by IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano, once again reiterated the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities, Ali Asghar Soltanieh said on Tuesday.

Certain parts of the report referred to irrational expectation of Western countries and the UN Security Council resolutions about the suspension of all activities. The Islamic Republic gave necessary explanations regarding the issue, he added.

The IAEA chief circulated a new report about Tehran’s nuclear energy program to member states on February 24.

The ambassador denounced as “imprudent” the IAEA’s call to inspect Iran’s Parchin site and said the agency made such a demand but Iran refused the inspection “at the current juncture.”

The IAEA’s inspectors visited Parchin in 2005 and issued no report about traces of nuclear materials there, Soltanieh pointed out.

He emphasized that Iran has no worries regarding the inspection to Parchin but insisted that “everything should be based on regulations.”

Iran, in a confidence-building move, allowed IAEA experts to inspect Parchin in 2005. Former IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei stated in his report that no military nuclear activity was being conducted at the site.

The United States, Zionist Occupation Israel and some of their allies accuse Tehran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program, using this as a pretext to impose sanctions against Iran.

Iran has refuted the allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and member of the IAEA, it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

The IAEA has never found any evidence indicating that Tehran has sought to acquire a military nuclear capability.