Iran does not see the benefit of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) delegation's visit to the Islamic republic if the agency's Board of Governors adopts a resolution, the draft of which was submitted by the United States and the Euro-Troika (Britain, France and Germany). Mohammad Eslami, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said this on Wednesday.
"Obviously, if the draft resolution proposed by the US and the three European countries is approved, the IAEA delegation's visit to Iran is unlikely to bring any results," Eslami was quoted by Tasnim news agency as saying. The AEOI chief thus commented on his November 16 statement that an IAEA visit to Iran was not on the agenda.
IAEA Director-General Raphael Grossi stated on November 10 that talks with representatives of Iran ended in Vienna without any result but the sides would continue contacts. On the same day, Reuters quoted the IAEA report as saying that Tehran had agreed to a November visit of representatives of the agency, which is investigating the origin of uranium particles at three undeclared nuclear sites. On November 14, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani confirmed that an IAEA delegation planned to visit the Islamic republic.
Draft resolution
On November 15, the US and the Euro-Troika sent a draft resolution to the IAEA Board of Governors concerning Iran's lack of willingness to cooperate with the organization. According to Agence France-Presse, the document "condemns Tehran's lack of cooperation".
Earlier the US, Britain, France and Germany prepared a draft resolution for discussion in the IAEA Board of Governors following the discovery of uranium particles at three Iranian nuclear facilities. According to the draft, the sides are "deeply concerned" about the unresolved issue, Reuters reported on November 11. In this regard, the council "considers it necessary and urgent" for Iran to take action and provide a technically credible explanation for the presence of traces of uranium at these sites.
The requirement to allow agency inspectors access to these sites was a key condition for reinstating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear program. On June 8, the IAEA's Board of Governors adopted a resolution condemning Tehran's refusal to hand over the required information on this issue. Thirty states voted for the document, Russia and China were against it, India, Libya and Pakistan abstained.
The regular meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors is held in Vienna on November 14-18.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from TASS