Iran's Representation at the Agency Protests Nikki Haley's Visit to Vienna

Nikki Haley, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, held discussions with Yukiya Amano, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), regarding Iran's compliance with its commitments. This conversation prompted a protest from the Islamic Republic's permanent representation at the Agency, which deemed the discussion contrary to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the Agency's role. On Thursday, September 2, the Islamic Republic's representation at the IAEA released a statement emphasizing that Iran is 'fully aware of its duties and responsibilities under the NPT, the Safeguards Agreement, the JCPOA, and the Additional Protocol, and has adhered to these responsibilities and will continue to do so.' The statement further added that Tehran 'will never allow the misuse of these laws for the sick political purposes of a specific country, and it is essential for all parties to adhere to their commitments for the continuation of the JCPOA.' Haley's meeting with Amano took place on Wednesday in Vienna, during which she emphasized the need for thorough verification of Iran's nuclear programs and the country's compliance with the nuclear agreement. Haley's office released a report from the meeting stating that access to Iranian facilities is necessary for implementing the nuclear agreement. The U.S. Ambassador also stated that inspectors must be able to access any location in Iran suspected of conducting activities related to the JCPOA. This part of Haley's remarks particularly caught the attention of Iran's permanent representation at the Agency, which protested it. The Iranian representation stated: 'The U.S. government's claim that 'the Agency's reports will be as valid as the access Iran provides to inspectors' is a strange claim and completely incorrect, which in fact undermines the credibility of the Agency and its reports not only regarding Iran but all countries.' The Iranian representation then added: 'Such a claim implies the unreliability of the Agency and its reports, and it seems to have been expressed only due to the ignorance and inexperience of the new political team in the U.S.' Haley's visit to Vienna also previously elicited a response from Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, who deemed it a violation of the JCPOA in an open letter addressed to Yukiya Amano and Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief. Haley tweeted: 'We came to Vienna with many questions about the Iran deal. We received some very good answers, but we still have many doubts and concerns.' However, the Islamic Republic's representation at the Agency considered the U.S. concerns about the nuclear agreement with Iran as an instance of 'promoting Iranophobia' and stated that 'numerous reports from the Agency indicate Iran's full compliance with its JCPOA commitments.' Despite confirming Tehran's adherence to the JCPOA, the Trump administration claims that Iran is not adhering to the spirit of the nuclear agreement.