"Despite the three-month joint technical agreement between the IAEA and Iran, it should be noted that the basis of this agreement is to facilitate political negotiations, not to oblige Iran to implement the Agency's request," said Kazem Gharibabadi on Friday in reaction to the report of Rafael Grossi, the head of the IAEA.
"According to Iran's political decision, the role of the agency is only that of an executor," he added.
Noting that after three months, Iran did not renew this agreement with the IAEA and only continued to record data for another month within the framework of a political decision, Gharibabadi said, "The continuation or non-continuation of this process has nothing to do with Iran's safeguard obligations, as Iran continues to fulfill its safeguard obligations."
"Although, the director-general of the Agency stressed the vital importance of continuing verification, monitoring activities in Iran and data registration, but data registration has nothing to do with this issue," the Iranian diplomat highlighted.
"What Iran is committed to fulfilling are safeguard obligations, no less and no more," he added.
He also criticized the IAEA director-general, saying, "The Agency has no obligation to report about the expired agreement and record data. Undoubtedly, any decision made by Iran in this regard will be based on a political basis and the IAEA cannot consider it a right for itself."
He also in a tweet late Friday wrote, "Data recording was a political decision by Iran to facilitate, including, the political talks and to help its success and shouldn't be considered as obligation in relation with the Agency. Since Iran is continuing the implementation of its CSA, continuation or discontinuation of recording has nothing to do with Iran’s safeguards obligations. Undoubtedly, any decision to be taken by Iran in this regard would only be based on its political considerations, and the Agency can not, and should not, consider it as something it was entitled to."
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement on Friday that IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi wrote a letter to Iranian officials on June 17, but "Iran has not responded to this letter and has not specified whether it intends to maintain the current agreement or not."
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