IAEA Silence on Israeli, US Attacks Draws Sharp Criticism from Iran’s Nuclear Chief

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami lambasted the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for failing to condemn Israeli and US attacks on Iran’s safeguarded nuclear facilities in June, calling the silence a blow to international law.

News ID: 2002207

In remarks at the conference “International Law under Assault: Aggression and Defense”, held in Tehran on Sunday, Eslami said the West proved that negotiations and agreements “have no effect in removing accusations.”

He stated that while previous attacks on nuclear facilities around the world occurred at sites not under IAEA monitoring, “what happened in Iran was the first time in history that facilities under the Agency’s supervision were attacked.”

Eslami said even the IAEA and the UN Security Council did not condemn the American and Israeli assault, which he described as a clear instance of international law being undermined.

He asked what measures the Agency intends to take to protect bombed facilities and added that the IAEA must prepare itself for this new reality. “If attacking nuclear facilities is permitted, why don’t you say so? And if it is forbidden, why don’t you condemn it?”

Eslami stressed that Iran is being threatened with attack every day and that the UN nuclear agency must adapt to the current conditions.

On the safeguards regime, he stated that no country has experienced it as extensively as Iran.

Although Iran possesses only three percent of global nuclear capacity, it receives roughly 25 percent of all inspections, he said, adding that around 80 percent of the IAEA’s safeguards oversight worldwide is carried out in Iran.

Eslami warned that if such double standards continue, the same situation could be imposed on any country./tasnim