Iran Urges UN Nuclear Watchdog To Stop Double Standards

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian/PHOTO Naser Jafari via Wikimedia Commons

JAKARTA - Iran's president said the UN nuclear watchdog should revoke "double standards" if Tehran wants to continue working with him on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, Iranian state media reported.

President Masoud Pezeshkian last week enacted a law suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the IAEA said it had withdrawn its remaining inspectors from Iran.

Relations between Iran and the IAEA have deteriorated since the United States and Israel bombed Iran's nuclear facilities in June, on the pretext of preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes and denies seeking to develop atomic weapons.

"The continuation of Iran's cooperation with the agency (IAEA) relies on corrections to the IAEA double standards regarding nuclear issues," Pezeshkian told European Council President Antonio Costa by telephone.

"Any repeated aggression (against Iran) will be responded with a more assertive and regrettable response," he said.

Tehran accuses the IAEA of not condemning attacks by the United States and Israel, and says the nuclear watchdog paved the way for the bombings by issuing a resolution declaring Iran violates its non-proliferation obligations.

The bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities caused a 12-day war, in which Iran launched drones and missiles into Israel.

IAEA inspectors have not been able to inspect Iranian facilities since the bombing campaign, although IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said it was his top priority.