BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 18. Iran has called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to remain neutral in its approach to the country’s nuclear program, said Iran’s Vice President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami to reporters following a Cabinet meeting in Tehran on December 18, Trend reports.
Eslami noted that Iran calls on IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to take professional steps concerning the 2231 resolution, which is currently under review by the UN.
Eslami emphasized that the resolution, which is renewed every six months by the UN Security Council, has two main aspects: the removal of sanctions against Iran and the creation of trust, which includes Iran accepting limitations and the other parties fulfilling their commitments.
He added that Iran does not agree with the IAEA focusing only on issues related to Iran's obligations and not paying attention to the second issue.
Notably, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was approved on October 18, 2015, with the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2231 halting the implementation of previous resolutions (1373, 1747, 1803, 1929) against Iran. Resolution 2231 is set to expire in October 2025.
To note, the International Atomic Energy Agency adopted a resolution on November 21 with 19 votes in favor, 12 abstentions, and 3 against Iran. The resolution urged Tehran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency on a number of issues and also called for a credible document on uranium residues at two undeclared sites on Iranian territory.
Meanwhile, in January 2016, Iran and the P5+1 group (the US, Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany) implemented the Comprehensive Joint Plan of Action concerning Iran’s nuclear program.
However, in May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
Two years later, Iran responded to the sanctions by implementing a strategic plan for the nuclear sector to counter them. The Iranian parliament made this decision at the end of 2020, leading to the suspension of additional measures and the Additional Protocol following the nuclear agreement.
Consequently, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) faced a reduction in monitoring capabilities by 20–30 percent.
Iran has officially affirmed that its strategy is not to pursue the development of an atomic bomb and that it does not support the production of weapons of mass destruction.