Iran file should now be returned to IAEA - Ambassador
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, Nov 17, IRNA
Iran-IAEA-Ambassador
Iran's Ambassador to London Rasoul Movahedian has welcomed the latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a "giant step forward" in returning Tehran's nuclear file back solely to its rightful place at the UN watchdog in Vienna.
"There is no longer any reason for the issue to remain at the UN Security Council," Movahedian said.
"No country has cooperated with the IAEA so closely as Iran," he said in an interview with IRNA.
The latest report follows the IAEA reaching an agreement with Iran in August on a timetable to clarify any outstanding issues relating to the country's civilian nuclear programme.
The envoy said that many countries have welcomed the agreement.
It was only those who have been seeking to exploit the issue for "political purposes" that expressed any prejudice, he added.
All claims have proved to be unsubstantiated and future cooperation will only endorse this as in the case of China and Russia, which are well aware of the peaceful nature of our nuclear energy program, the envoy said.
The only country opposed is the US government, which Movahedian said was unduly influenced by the Zionist lobby to safeguard the illegal interests of Israeli regime in the region.
The present British government under Prime Minister Gordon Brown has a "more balanced policy" than the hardline approach of his predecessor Tony Blair, but its general framework in wanting to deny Iran its right to nuclear energy under the NPT has not changed, he said.
Last week, the Iranian ambassador criticised Brown for pushing for tougher sanctions against Iran as being "destructive," stressing that such a policy would be against London's national interests.
The British premier, he suggested, should not be hasty as such threats were in "direct contradiction" to the latest IAEA report.
He also advised EU High Representative Javier Solana not fall in the trap to hinder Iran's cooperation with the IAEA.
Movahedian suggested that Mr. Solana, who is due to present his own report on Iran's cooperation, faced a dichotomy after coming under intense pressure from the US, having previously supported the IAEA track.
The envoy emphasised that Iran was after 100 per cent transparency on its nuclear program and in normalising its relations with the IAEA, the only legitimate UN watchdog agency to verify its activities.
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