Iran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency told AFP on Thursday that a new resolution passed by the UN nuclear watchdog would have a “negative impact” on cooperation over the country’s nuclear programme.
“This resolution will not add anything to the current situation, will not be helpful, it is counter-productive,” ambassador Reza Najafi said after the IAEA board adopted a resolution calling on Iran to provide access and information on its nuclear sites.
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“Iran has already started cooperating with the agency despite our challenges and provided access to all undamaged facilities. This resolution will certainly have a negative impact on the cooperation that has already started between Iran and the agency,” he added.
Longstanding tensions between Iran and the UN agency were inflamed after a 12-day war in June that saw Israeli and US strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities. Since then, agency inspectors have not been to sensitive sites such as Fordo and Natanz, which were hit in the strikes, but they have been able to visit others.
The new resolution “urges Iran to comply fully and without delay with its legal obligations under… UNSC resolutions and to extend full and prompt cooperation to the IAEA, including by providing such information and access that the agency requests”, according to the text.
The resolution was passed by 19 votes to three with 12 abstentions.
AFP