Vienna: Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, has questioned renewed Western pressure on Tehran at a time when the country is not conducting uranium enrichment.
According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Gharibabadi, speaking on the sidelines of the international conference ‘International Law under Assault,’ highlighted that the European troika and the United States have circulated a draft resolution at the IAEA Board of Governors. This draft includes demands for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment, refrain from re-engaging in reprocessing, and enter into talks with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus one in good faith.
Gharibabadi questioned the Western concerns by stating, “We are not enriching [uranium] at this juncture, so what exactly is the West worried about?” He further outlined Iran’s legal perspective concerning attacks on its nuclear scientists and facilities by Israel and the United States, describing these as ‘two aggressions’ – one against territorial integrity and the other against nuclear installations.
He emphasized that the non-proliferation regime is fundamentally built on the principle of non-attack against nuclear facilities. Gharibabadi argued that it is unprecedented in IAEA history for nuclear sites to be targeted militarily, noting that, while other states’ installations have been inspected, the most significant inspections have been in Iran.
Gharibabadi stated that any act against nuclear facilities, including sabotage, coercive force, or the assassination of nuclear scientists, threatens not only state nuclear activities but also international peace and security. He added that all Iranian facilities attacked by Israel and the United States were under strict IAEA monitoring.
He also pointed out Iran’s extensive cooperation with the IAEA, citing remarks by Atomic Energy Organization chief Mohammad Eslami. Eslami stated that Iran has undergone ‘wide and comprehensive verification’ of its nuclear activities and that all enrichment and facility-related issues are under IAEA safeguards.