BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 19. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and in compliance with the agreement it has with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Trend reports.
He made this statement at a news conference in Tehran today (February 19), in response to a recent remark by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.
Reportedly, Rafael Grossi claimed that Iran’s nuclear program lacked full transparency.
“Iran urges Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to avoid making comments that are political and beyond his mandate,” Kanaani said.
The spokesman stressed that Iran has consistently affirmed that its nuclear program is for peaceful ends. He cited 15 reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency that confirmed that Iran’s nuclear activities are peaceful.
Kanaani also noted that Iran has no interest in developing nuclear weapons as they are not part of its defense strategy.
It should be noted that Iran’s nuclear program has various applications in fields like agriculture, health, electricity, and more, and that the country has achieved self-sufficiency in the nuclear fuel cycle, from uranium exploration to yellowcake production.
On January 16, 2016, Iran's nuclear program triggered the creation of the JCPOA between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France, and Germany).
However, on May 8, 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the 5+1 group (Russia, China, the UK, France, the US, and Germany) and imposed new sanctions against Iran as of November 2018.
Over the past period, the sanctions have affected Iranian oil exports and more than 700 banks, companies, and individuals. The sanctions have resulted in the freezing of Iranian assets abroad.
In late 2020, the Iranian parliament decided to implement a strategic plan to tackle the sanctions, citing the non-implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and six countries and the imposition of sanctions on Iran.
According to the decision of the Iranian parliament, as of February 23, Iran suspended the implementation of additional steps and an additional protocol provided for in the nuclear deal. As a result, the control mechanism of the IAEA decreased by 20–30 percent.
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