Iran: We Will Give a Strong Response to Any Unconstructive Action by the Board of Governors

Hours after reports emerged about the possibility of passing a resolution against Iran in the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic threatened that it would give a “strong and proportionate” response to “unconstructive” measures.

The United States and three European powers party to the JCPOA, including France, Britain, and Germany, are pressuring the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency to issue a resolution “censuring” Iran for not responding to questions from this body about the origin of uranium particles found at undeclared sites.

Based on the text of a draft sent to 35 member countries of the Board of Governors of the Agency, the mentioned resolution asks Iran to “immediately comply with its legal obligations and promptly accept the proposal of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency for greater cooperation aimed at clarifying and resolving all outstanding nuclear safeguards issues.”

Reuters news agency, which reviewed the draft resolution, reported on Wednesday, June 1, that Western powers had refrained from voting on a resolution against Iran at a previous meeting of the Board of Governors solely because negotiations to revive the JCPOA did not fail.

The Islamic Republic of Iran had committed in late March of last year to provide clear answers within a three-month period to the Agency’s questions about the origin of uranium at its undeclared sites. However, the Agency’s latest report shows that Iran has not fulfilled its commitment, and negotiations to revive the JCPOA have remained stalled since that time.

The date in the text of the draft shows Tuesday, June 1.

Reuters news agency, quoting two unnamed diplomats, says that the United States and the European troika have registered this draft.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman on Wednesday afternoon, in reaction to the possible passage of a Board of Governors resolution against Tehran, threatened that any “unconstructive” action by the Board of Governors would be met with a “strong and proportionate” response.

Saeed Khatibzadeh attributed responsibility for the consequences of such action to those who, according to him, “view the Board of Governors and the Director General’s report as a tool of pressure against Iran.”

The formal presentation of this draft is initially scheduled to take place next week at a meeting of the Board of Governors of the Agency, and then it will either pass without objection or be put to a vote.

In earlier reports, it was mentioned that Agency inspectors identified four “suspect” locations in Iran, one of which is in Turquzabad, outskirts of Tehran, and another in Isfahan, both of which were “likely destroyed in 2003 and 2004 to eliminate uranium traces.”

Khatibzadeh also said on Wednesday, in an indirect reference to Israel: “The simultaneity and alignment of such statements with the recent moves of the fake Zionist regime further highlights the footprints of the Zionist regime in them.”

Naftali Bennett, Prime Minister of Israel, on Tuesday, June 1, in response to remarks by Iran’s Foreign Minister who accused Israel of “spreading many lies,” released classified documents related to Iran’s nuclear activities on Google Drive.

These documents showed that Iran in the early 1380s attempted to hide parts of its nuclear activities from the Agency’s view.

The International Atomic Energy Agency reported Monday in its latest report to the Board of Governors of the organization that Iran’s enriched uranium reserves have reached more than 18 times the permitted limit specified in the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA.

Western powers are concerned that as Iran approaches uranium enriched to the 90 percent level, it will obtain the necessary materials to build an atomic bomb. Iran denies any such effort.

In response to this Agency report, Khatibzadeh on Tuesday called it “unjust” and accused Israel of interference in the Agency’s affairs.

Source: Radio Farda