The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization on Wednesday criticized the director of the UN nuclear watchdog for making what he described as provocative statements regarding Tehran’s nuclear program.
Mohammad Eslami said Wednesday that in spite of Iran accepting limitations on its program in order to build trust and in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, the agency is misrepresenting Tehran.
“It is not acceptable for an international institution to address just one aspect of the issue, in a provocative manner at that, and refuse to point to the main aspect, which is the obligated parties’ non-commitment,” he said. “We expect the agency’s director-general, who is a veteran diplomat, to observe these matters.”
It comes after Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Monday that the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is no longer sufficient to curb Tehran’s uranium enrichment which has exceeded international limits.
"Iran is enriching uranium close to military levels and is rapidly moving towards becoming a nuclear state," Grossi told the ANSA news agency. "The philosophy of the original accord with Iran can be used, but that agreement is no longer useful," he added.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, also reacted to Grossi's remarks, saying, "The Director General of a specialized organization is expected to speak based on facts and technical reports from the Agency's inspectors. Reading intentions based on hypothetical scenarios is not part of the Director General's duties and is contrary to the letter and spirit of the Agency's statute.”
On December 6, the IAEA reported that Iran had significantly accelerated its production rate of 60% enriched uranium, which is now approximately five times higher than a month ago. Iran is now believed to possess enough 60% enriched uranium to produce four to five atomic bombs, should it choose to pursue nuclear weapons.
After the US withdrew from the JCPOA, Iran breached its nuclear commitments, increasing uranium enrichment to 60%, near weapons-grade levels. Subsequent negotiations with the US and E3, France, Germany and Great Britain, failed to revive the deal or secure a new agreement. Ten months remain until the “Termination Day” for UN resolution 2231, which sealed the deal, while the impasse on restoring the JCPOA persists.
UN Security Council meets to discuss nuclear deal
Eslami’s remarks came a day after a UNSC session on the 2015 nuclear accord, and implementation of resolution 2231 which endorsed it.
During the meeting, the European parties to the deal, as well as the US, warned that Iran is continuously deviating from its commitments under the JCPOA. They demanded that Tehran take immediate steps to curtail its activities and reverse its nuclear program and threatened that they will trigger the so-called snapback mechanism, which renews the UN sanctions lifted by the JCPOA.
UK deputy representative to the UN, James Kariuki, said, “Iran is not only failing to uphold its commitments, it is peddling dangerous and escalatory rhetoric around its nuclear capability and doctrine.”
Referring to recent reports by the UN watchdog, he said Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium is already more than 32 times the limits allowed in the accord.
“The UK and our E3 partners are determined to reach a diplomatic solution. We will continue to engage Iran to find a constructive way forward. But let us be clear. With UNSCR 2231 set to expire next October, we are reaching a critical juncture,” Ambassador Kariuki said during the UNSC meeting.
US envoy to the UN Robert Wood echoed similar sentiments. “Iran’s actions suggest it is not interested in demonstrating verifiably that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful," he said.
He pointed out that Iran's disregard for UN resolutions and IAEA concerns undermines global nuclear security.
“Iran has the opportunity to change course and engage in diplomacy,” he added. “Instead of expanding its program and stirring up speculation about its intentions, Iran should take actions that build international confidence and deescalate tensions.”
Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani rejected any threats of invoking the snapback, calling it unlawful and counterproductive.
“Let’s make it clear once and for all: the so-called ‘Snapback’ is not a tool in your hand to be abused for threatening Iran. Iran has made it very clear that such a provocative move will be reciprocated by a firm and proportionate response,” he said.
Iravani said that Iran engaged in good-faith negotiations to revive the deal but the unrealistic demands and lack of political will from the US and E3 led to the failure of the talks. "Blaming Iran for the failure to conclude the negotiations is both unjust and factually incorrect,” he added.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. Rosemary A. DiCarlo, who chaired the UNSC meeting, stressed the need for a solution amid the growing concerns about Iran’s nuclear advances amid a simmering Middle East.
“Against this backdrop, the need for a comprehensive, long-term-solution that would restore the objectives of the [JCPOA] plan has never been greater,” she said.
