Iran says IAEA cannot inspect attacked nuclear sites without new protocol
Atomic Energy Organization chief Mohammad Eslami says inspections of unaffected facilities continue under safeguards
Iranian Atomic Energy Organization chief Mohammad Eslami said the IAEA cannot inspect Iranian sites damaged in military attacks until a dedicated inspection protocol is drafted, approved and issued. He said inspections of unaffected sites were continuing under safeguards and criticized what he described as political pressure on the agency.
TEHRAN — Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization chief Mohammad Eslami said the International Atomic Energy Agency cannot claim authority to inspect Iranian sites damaged in military attacks until rules governing such inspections are drafted, approved and formally issued.
Speaking on Wednesday, Aug. 26, at a ceremony marking the unveiling of four technology-related achievements, Eslami said Iran’s engagement with the IAEA was being conducted according to a law passed by Iran’s parliament. He said Tehran had informed the agency that the law governed inspections of facilities affected by military strikes.
“Until the regulations and inspection protocol for sites that have come under military attack are drafted, approved and issued, the agency cannot claim to conduct inspections,” Eslami said, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.
Eslami said facilities that had not been struck had continued to undergo inspections under safeguards during the previous month. He said sites that had been hit were a separate matter because, in Iran’s view, the IAEA must first clarify the security conditions and establish a specific inspection protocol for damaged facilities.
He also criticized the agency for not objecting to or condemning the reported attacks, saying this raised questions about its independence and authority. Eslami alleged that pressure from the United States and Israel was aimed at prompting the IAEA to visit damaged sites in order to assess the consequences of military operations.
“The country remains in a wartime situation,” Eslami said, arguing that security conditions at the sites had not yet been restored. He called on international organizations to operate according to their own rules without political pressure or threats against their officials.
In remarks on the Atomic Energy Organization’s other activities, Eslami said Iran continued exporting radiopharmaceuticals to several countries despite wartime conditions, although air-transport disruptions had affected deliveries. He also said the organization operated 20 plasma-based wound-treatment clinics and planned to open additional centers.
Eslami further described nuclear fusion as a potentially unlimited future energy source and said Iran was developing diagnostic and measurement systems for its Shams tokamak project.