Iran criticized a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Saturday, accusing the UN body of transforming its technical assessments into an instrument of political pressure. This reaction comes after the publication of a document in which the IAEA is concerned about the lack of access to several Iranian nuclear sites and calls on Tehran to “cooperate constructively”.
Tensions around Iran’s nuclear program remain high since the strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against several Iranian nuclear installations starting on February 28. These attacks have considerably complicated the verification work of the UN agency.
In this context, the Iranian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, denounced the position of the IAEA. “If the IAEA wants to contribute to a diplomatic solution, it must avoid transforming a technical report into a tool for political pressure,” he wrote on the social network X.
In its confidential report, the IAEA considers that the inability to access certain Iranian nuclear sites constitutes a “cause for concern in terms of proliferation”. The agency also emphasizes that, despite the exceptional circumstances created by the military strikes, it must be able to quickly resume its control activities.
“While the Agency recognizes that military attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and sites have created an unprecedented situation, it is crucial that it can conduct verification activities in Iran without delay,” the document said.
