MP Censures UN Agency's "Biased Approach"

A lawmaker criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for its "biased" approach, saying the UN nuclear agency's recent report on Iran has been prepared under the influence of western powers.

Avaz Heydarpour said Iran has provided a "comprehensive, transparent and precise" response to all demands of the IAEA, adding that, as an international organization, the IAEA is supposed to make independent decisions, however, "impartiality" is lacking in the agency's activities as its decisions are affected by what western powers dictate, ICANA reported on Saturday.

Such an approach is aimed at obstructing the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the major powers on a comprehensive agreement to resolve the dispute over Tehran's nuclear program, he noted, adding that some western countries are doing their utmost to prevent the negotiations from yielding results and "are using the IAEA as a lever against Iran."

According to Reuters, a confidential IAEA report issued to its member states on Thursday claimed that Tehran was continuing to withhold full cooperation in two areas of the IAEA investigation.

"Iran has not provided any explanations that enable the agency to clarify the outstanding practical measures," the IAEA said, referring to allegations of explosives tests and alleged studies that could be used to develop nuclear bombs.

On the nuclear transparency measures that Iran has agreed to implement as part of a framework agreement on further cooperation it signed with the UN nuclear watchdog in late 2013, Ambassador to the IAEA Reza Najafi said Iran had completed most of the measures and with regard to the two remaining steps, Tehran had announced it was ready to allow IAEA inspectors "managed access" to the alleged site in the Marivan region in western Iran, where the agency claims high explosive tests that could be relevant for any effort to develop nuclear weapons may have been conducted, to help advance the work.