BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 30. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) must remain politically impartial and carry out its technical responsibilities as a global institution, said Esmail Baghaei, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Trend reports.
Speaking at a press briefing in Tehran on June 30, Baghaei noted that Iran has called on IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to act strictly within his technical mandate and to avoid being influenced by certain member states.
“The pressure strategy pursued by three European countries – the UK, France, and Germany – against Iran over the past two decades is well known,” Kanaani stated, adding that Iran has always insisted that the agency act independently of political considerations.
He criticized the latest IAEA report on Iran, arguing that it was unbalanced and was the basis for the anti-Iran resolution adopted by the IAEA Board of Governors.
On June 12, during the Board of Governors meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a resolution submitted by the U.S., the UK, France, and Germany against Iran was brought to a vote. The resolution passed with the support of 19 countries, while 11 countries abstained, and 3, Russia, China, and Burkina Faso, voted against. It highlights Iran’s repeated failure since 2019 to fully and promptly cooperate with the agency regarding undeclared nuclear materials and activities at multiple undisclosed sites.
The IAEA stated in its latest report that as of May 17, 2024, Iran had 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent. The amount of uranium enriched to 60 percent increased by 133.8 kilograms compared to the report given in February. The report considered that enrichment at this level was a short technical step to the 90 percent enrichment level (considered weapons-grade). The agency called on Iran to cooperate fully and effectively.
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