Who struck “fatal blow” to Vienna talks?

Tehran, IRNA – Iran’s decisive response to the over-demanding resolution adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors was deemed a “fatal blow” by the nuclear watchdog’s chief to the talks in Vienna, while the blow has been struck by the United States’ political indecision and the agency’s yielding to the Zionist Regime’s adventurism. The adoption of the anti-Iran resolution, while Iran has had the highest level of cooperation with the IAEA during the last two decades, indicates that international organizations have been an instrument in the hands of some Western countries in the Zionist Regime rather than supporting the interests of all nations. Developments between Iran and IAEA The IAEA passed a resolution in a BoG meeting this week with 30 votes in favor, two votes against, and three abstentions, accusing Iran of insufficient cooperation with the IAEA on traces of nuclear materials in three locations. The resolution was drafted by the US and the E3 – France, Germany, and the UK. Before the passing of the resolution, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi had claimed in his May 30 report that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile had increased 18 times of the nuclear deal limit and that it had secret enrichment sites. Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami responded to Grossi’s accusations, saying that Iran had no secret nuclear activities and not undeclared sites. Also, the AEOI’s spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi urged the IAEA not to invoke to the evidences obtained through espionage or allegations made by unreliable sources. Despite this, the adoption of the resolution made Iran to conclude that the agency’s measures weren’t appropriate with the existing reality and Tehran’s goodwill and it follows Western policies. Therefore, Iran deactivated several surveillance cameras and OLEM and flowmeter devices installed by the IAEA beyond the Safeguards Agreements in response to the resolution. Iran also installed new centrifuges and began feeding gas to the advanced machines. Moreover, Kamalvandi announced halting of some voluntary measures taken by Iran to cooperate with the IAEA as a sign of goodwill. Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said that the sponsors of the resolution would be responsible for its consequences, noting that Iran’s response would be decisive and appropriate. Iran’s foreign ministry described the resolution as being “hasty and unbalanced” which was based on fake information provided by the Zionist Regime, adding that it would lead to undermining Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA. Grossi said in a press conference on Friday that Iran disconnected 27 cameras and kept 40 others active, confirming that Iran has informed the agency of installment of new centrifuges. In the meantime, Russia’s envoy in Vienna warned against the consequences of the IAEA's resolution, saying that it would lead to tensions with Tehran. Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said in response to the adoption that Iran would walk back even one step. "How many times do you want to test the Iranian nation and overlook official statements? Do you think we will withdraw by issuing resolutions? In the name of God and in the name of the nation we won't," the President told the Western countries in his speech. Two decades of transparent cooperation Iran has had the broadest cooperation with the IAEA during the last 18 years, as confirmed by the agency itself in several reports. As per the IAEA, Iran was the first country to accept installing of OLEM devices and cameras beyond Safeguards Agreements. Bloomberg said in a report in April that the IAEA's inspection efforts in Iran’s nuclear activities reached all-time high. That’s why Iran deems the IAEA resolution as being politically motivated and believes that the sponsors of the resolution know very well because of this record that Iran hasn’t been seeking nuclear weapons. “The US and the West know that atomic bomb has no place in Iran's Islamic doctrine,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian noted, adding that they have been seeking Iran's recognition of the Zionist Regime to no avail via such irrelevant accusations. Who will win? Iran has been trying over the last 20 years to reject allegations of seeking nuclear weapons based on goodwill, while all the accusation were based on nothing but the Zionist Regime’s claims. The voluntary measures taken by Iran to show goodwill have been presumed by international organization to be a duty. Now, they accuse Iran of violation when deciding to reduce those voluntary compliances. The accusations are raised against Iran while the first and the biggest violator of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers (JCPOA) was former US President Donald Trump who withdrew from the deal in 2018 The Zionist Regime's footprint is seen in all these anti-Iran efforts, as confirmed in many interviews of the regime's prime minister Naftali Bennett with American media and his acknowledgement of the resolution against Iran. Prerequisite of a deal and the path forward Some experts said that the resolution wasn’t strict and evaluated Iran's response as overreaction. While some see the recent developments as the end of the talks to revive the JCPOA, IAEA's Grossi said that there was always an opportunity for understanding and that the resumption of talks was the most rational option. US' representative in Iran's affairs Robert Malley said that his country was "ready for a mutual return to full compliance immediately". However, all these show that any negotiation, deal or any understanding between Iran and the IAEA requires a mutual cooperation and the West's double-standard regarding Iran is no longer productive. That the US pretends to be eager for negotiation with Iran and in the meantime encourages its allies to impose American sanctions by detaining Iranian assets is a sign of continuation of its failed carrot and stick policy pursued during the last four decades against Iran. The truth is that the fatal blow to the talks to revive the JCPOA wasn’t imposed by Iran as it was defending its rights, but it was delivered by the West by yielding to the Zionist Regime’s excessive demands. Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish