‘Serious violation’: Iran slams Austria’s barring of nuclear chief from IAEA conference under US pressure
A senior Iranian diplomat has protested the prevention of Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), from attending the International Atomic Energy Agency’s General Conference under US pressure, calling it a “serious violation” of the Islamic Republic’s rights as an IAEA member.
Reza Najafi, Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, made the remarks, addressing the conference on Monday.
The diplomat rejected any characterization of the move as a minor administrative matter or human error, saying, “This is [rather] a serious violation of our country’s rights as a member of this agency.”
Najafi said preventing the head of the Iranian delegation from attending the conference violated the principle of sovereign equality enshrined in Article IV, Paragraph C of the IAEA Statute. He said the principle guarantees equal rights for all members and their enjoyment of the benefits of membership.
The envoy said the move also undermined Iran’s right to participate in the General Conference through a representative of its own choosing and weakened the privileges required for representatives to perform their duties under the IAEA Statute and the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the IAEA.
Equal representation and participation are treaty-based membership rights that “cannot and must not be undermined,” he said.
Najafi further described the action as a violation of Austria’s obligations as host country under the IAEA Headquarters Agreement between Austria and the Agency.
He said the agreement requires Austria to take all necessary measures to facilitate the entry of representatives of member states into Austrian territory and issue their visas as promptly as possible. The obligation, he stressed, is binding and unconditional for representatives holding valid credentials.
Najafi warned that preventing the head of a delegation from attending the agency’s highest policy-making body undermined the conference itself, stressing that anything short of corrective action would set a dangerous precedent for all IAEA members.
The violation followed adoption of an anti-Iran resolution by the IAEA’s Board of Governors, which has faulted the Islamic Republic’s refusal to provide access to the nuclear sites attacked during American-Israeli aggression.
✍🏻 Viewpoint - New resolution and UNSC referral show IAEA continues to be weaponized by US, Europe against Iran
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By Alireza Ahmadzadehhttps://t.co/f8w3VhtCUJ
Tehran has asserted that continued American aggression against the country has made effective IAEA inspections of the nuclear sites impossible, adding, however, that it has demonstrated a continued commitment to constructive manner and good-faith engagement with the agency.
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