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Iran urges UN Security Council not to undermine IAEA

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Vienna, March 3, IRNA
Iran-Security Council-IAEA
Iran's Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency Ali-Asghar Soltanieh on Monday gave warning to the United Nations Security Council over undermining the agency by negligence of Iran report on February 22.

He made the remarks prior to the start of the IAEA's Board of Governors in Vienna.

The 35-member board began its meeting to discuss a variety of issues including Iran's nuclear program following the report delivered by the agency's Director General Mohamed ElBaradei on February 22.

ElBaradei stressed in the 11-page report that the agency has verified non-diversion of Iran's nuclear program.

He added that the UN nuclear watchdog has made good progress in clarifying the outstanding issues relating to Iran's past nuclear activities.

"We have managed to clarify all the remaining outstanding issues, which is the scope and nature of Iran's enrichment program," the IAEA chief said.

"The UN Security Council's resolutions are like dagger in heart of the agency and would damage its credit," Soltaniyeh said commenting on efforts made by certain Western countries to push the council for a new anti-Iran resolution.

The diplomat added that ElBaradei's report "indicates the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities.

"It proved that Iran has answered all outstanding questions therefore, the case of its nuclear activities should be discussed as routine at the IAEA."

Referring to allegations that Iran has conducted weaponization studies, Soltanieh said the whole story is "a fabrication".

ElBaradei stressed in his report that the agency has "not seen any indication that these studies were linked to nuclear material." Elbaradei also called on Iran to accept Additional Protocol to Non-Proliferation Treaty to make easy monitoring Iranian nuclear activities in future.

Iran said that it would accept implementation of the Additional Protocol should the country's nuclear case was returned to the IAEA from the UN Security Council.

Iran had voluntarily implemented the Additional Protocol to NPT which grants intrusive inspection to the IAEA, but, suspended it later in protest at the referral of its nuclear case to the United Nations Security Council.

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