Syed Zafar Mehdi
09 June 2022•Update: 09 June 2022
TEHRAN, Iran
Iran's Foreign Ministry in a statement late Wednesday termed the adoption of a resolution at the UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors meeting in Vienna, Austria as "political, incorrect and unconstructive.”
The ministry said Tehran had "shown goodwill" in its interaction with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by providing "accurate technical information" and it expected the UN agency to reciprocate with an "independent, impartial and professional approach.”
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always cooperated constructively with the IAEA in recent years," said the statement, adding the country has "one of the most transparent peaceful nuclear programs.”
The ministry said the adoption of the resolution, which was proposed by the US and its three European allies -- France, Germany and the UK -- was based on a "hasty and unbalanced report" by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and "fabricated information" provided by Israel, warning that it will "weaken the process of cooperation and interaction" between Tehran and the IAEA.
Pertinently, Grossi had visited Israel ahead of the meeting in Vienna, which stirred controversy.
The statement further noted that Iran in response to the resolution has already taken certain measures, including the installation of advanced centrifuges and deactivation of surveillance cameras at nuclear facilities.
Earlier in the day, Iran's nuclear agency announced that it has turned off two cameras at one of its nuclear sites, saying they were operating beyond the safeguards agreement between Tehran and the IAEA.
It however said that more than 80% of the existing cameras of the UN nuclear watchdog that operate under the safeguards agreement will remain intact.
According to reports, Iran has also begun installing advanced IR-6 centrifuges at its underground enrichment site in Natanz and plans to add two more cascades to it.
Meanwhile, in a tweet Wednesday night, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the US and E3 countries had "put their shortsighted agenda ahead of the IAEA's credibility" by pushing for the resolution against Iran at the agency's meeting.
"The initiators are responsible for the consequences. Iran's response is firm and proportionate," he said, without elaborating.
Iran’s acting envoy to the IAEA Mohammad Reza Ghaebi also condemned the resolution, saying his country will take "appropriate measures" and reserves the "right to review its policy and approach toward the agency."
