Iran Rejects IAEA Spy Allegations, Calls Them Defamatory
WANA (Jun 05) – Iran has rejected the IAEA’s claims of “espionage” in a legal note, calling them defamatory. Tehran believes the Agency has exceeded its authority and is acting against Iran based on fabricated evidence.
According to the legal note, which was distributed among diplomats a few days before a key meeting in Vienna, Iran has escalated its position toward the UN nuclear watchdog by accusing IAEA inspectors of slander and presenting baseless evidence.
The note indicates that tensions between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency are rising ahead of the June 9 meeting — a session in which Western countries may refer Iran to the UN Security Council for failure to comply with international safeguards obligations.
This tension comes as nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States have stalled due to a major disagreement over the Islamic Republic’s legal right to enrich uranium.
In the first detailed analysis of the IAEA’s May 31 inspection report, Iran accused Director General Rafael Grossi of distorting Iran’s activities using incorrect and repetitive information.
According to Iran’s 19-page analysis dated June 3, the inspectors used defamatory language and claimed that Iran had seized confidential documents belonging to Agency inspectors.
The Agency provoked Iran’s anger with this statement from Grossi in its confidential report: “Conclusive evidence of the active collection and analysis of highly confidential Agency documents by Iran raises serious concerns about Iran’s spirit of cooperation and may undermine the effective implementation of safeguards in Iran.”
The Agency’s spokesperson declined to provide further details regarding the nature or contents of the “missing documents.”
Meanwhile, Tariq Rauf, former head of nuclear verification policy at the Agency, said: “It is unprecedented for the Agency to acknowledge in a report that it has lost control over information. It now appears that Iran has escalated its protest and says the Director General has exceeded his authority.”
The deterioration in relations between the Agency and Iran is seen as a negative sign for achieving a diplomatic settlement.
IAEA inspectors continue to conduct daily visits to Iran’s declared nuclear sites and would play a key role in verification if an agreement is reached between Iran and the United States.
In the absence of progress in the Agency’s investigations, European countries have stated they are ready to refer Iran to the UN Security Council, where broad international sanctions could be reimposed against Iran ahead of their scheduled expiration in October. Iran has warned that if referred to the Security Council, it may withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
In the note distributed among Agency members, Iran wrote: “If these countries decide to take advantage of Iran’s patience and insist on their wrongful path, Iran will inevitably be compelled to make and implement appropriate decisions in proportion to the situation and the actions of the other parties.”
Previously, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, head of Iran’s diplomatic apparatus, emphasized that “IAEA reports must be technical and non-political,” saying: “In my meeting with Grossi in Cairo, I expressed our dissatisfaction with the Agency’s recent report.”
He further called on regional countries to support Omani mediation for negotiations aimed at reaching a diplomatic solution. Araghchi stressed: “If the Americans insist on zero enrichment, no agreement is possible. But if the goal is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, then an agreement is achievable.”
Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. AEOI / WANA News Agency
