Iran challenges IAEA legitimacy

Ali Akbar Salehi

Head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Agency speaking at the general conference of the IAEA in Vienna said the International Atomic Energy Agency is faced with “an ethical legitimacy and competence crisis.”

He told the assembly that the IAEA is not “fair and impartial” and “certain powers” pressure it and influence its decisions.

Ali Akbar Salehi condemned the recent resolutions against Iran and added: “The uncivil double approach of threat and negotiations cannot be beneficial.”

He went on to invite the Vienna Group to resume talks “without further delays and on the basis of the Tehran Agreement.”

Tehran Agreement was the deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil in Tehran in which Iran agrees to exchange its low-grade uranium with nuclear fuel provided by the West on Turkish territory.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also told reporters in New York on Friday that Iran will meet with a G5+1 representative to set up the “framework for the continuation of the talks.”

Ali Akbar Salehi also told Spiegel weekly magazine that Yukiya Amano’s approach has intensified tensions around Iran’s nuclear program.

He urged the head of the IAEA to halt actions that undermine his “legitimacy.” He also accused the IAEA of “taking advantage” of Iran and emphasized that he does not accept the tone Amano has used to talk about Iran in his latest report.

In his latest report, the IAEA chief rebukes Iran for “barring a number of expert inspectors” from entering Iran. He also stated that he was concerned that Iran may be “developing nuclear warheads.”