Iran: We will respond firmly to any unconstructive action by the Board of Governors

An hour after reports emerged of the possibility of a resolution being passed by the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors against Iran, the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry threatened to respond "firmly and proportionately" to "unconstructive" actions.

The United States and the three European powers that are parties to the JCPOA, including France, Britain, and Germany, are pressuring the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors to issue a resolution "reprimanding" Iran for failing to answer the agency's questions about the origin of uranium particles found at undeclared sites.

According to the draft text sent to the 35 member states of the IAEA Board of Governors, the resolution calls on Iran to "immediately implement its legal obligations and promptly accept the IAEA Director General's proposal for further engagement with the aim of clarifying and resolving all outstanding safeguards issues."

Reuters, which saw the draft resolution, reported on Wednesday, June 1, that Western powers had refused to approve the resolution against it at the previous meeting of the Board of Governors, simply because the negotiations to revive the JCPOA had failed.

The Islamic Republic of Iran pledged in March last year to provide transparent answers to the IAEA's questions about the origin of uranium at its undeclared sites within a three-month period. However, the IAEA's new report shows that Iran has not fulfilled its commitment, and negotiations to revive the JCPOA have been stalled ever since.

The date included in the draft text shows Tuesday, June 10th.

Reuters news agency, citing two unnamed diplomats, said the United States and the European troika had registered the draft.

On Wednesday evening, in response to the possible approval of the Board of Governors' resolution against Tehran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman threatened that any "non-constructive" action by the Board of Governors would be met with a "firm and proportionate response."

Saeed Khatibzadeh placed the responsibility for the consequences of such an action on those who, in his words, "view the Board of Governors and the Director General's report as a lever to exert pressure against Iran."

The draft should first be formally presented at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting next week, and then either approved without opposition or put to a vote.

Earlier reports said that IAEA inspectors had identified four “suspicious” sites in Iran, one in Turqoozabad, a suburb of Tehran, and another in Isfahan, both of which “were destroyed in 2003 and 2004, probably with the aim of eliminating uranium traces.”

On Wednesday, Mr. Khatibzadeh also said in an indirect reference to Israel: "The synchronism and consistency of such statements with the recent movements of the fake Zionist regime makes the Zionist regime's footprint in them even more prominent than before."

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett published confidential documents related to Iran's nuclear activities on Google Drive on Tuesday, June 3, in response to the Iranian Foreign Minister's remarks accusing Israel of "spreading many lies."

These documents showed that Iran had attempted to hide parts of its nuclear activities from the IAEA in the early 1980s.

The International Atomic Energy Agency announced on Monday in its new report to the organization's Board of Governors that Iran's enriched uranium reserves have reached more than 18 times the limit specified in the nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Western powers are concerned that Iran could acquire the material needed to build a nuclear bomb by approaching 90 percent enriched uranium, a claim Iran denies.

In response to the IAEA report, Mr. Khatibzadeh called it "unfair" on Tuesday and accused Israel of interfering in the agency's affairs.

Source: Radio Farda