Tehran's uranium enrichment program has no military purpose, Iranian diplomat tells IAEA chief

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, has strongly rebutted claims made by Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), regarding Iran’s nuclear enrichment program.

In a tweet on X on December 17, Gharibabadi emphasized that Iran’s nuclear activities are solely for peaceful purposes and are aligned with technical needs, not military objectives, Caliber.Az reports via Iranian media.

Grossi had stated in an interview that Iran is enriching uranium "close to military levels" and is "rapidly moving towards becoming a nuclear state."

He also noted that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is no longer relevant, suggesting that a new framework is necessary to account for the current state of Iran's nuclear program.

In response, Gharibabadi criticized Grossi for making statements based on hypothetical scenarios rather than facts.

"The Director General of a specialized organization is expected to speak based on facts and technical reports from the Agency's inspectors. Reading intentions based on hypothetical scenarios is not part of the Director General's duties and is contrary to the letter and spirit of the Agency's statute," he wrote.

The Iranian diplomat further asserted that Iran's nuclear development is being carried out under the supervision of the IAEA’s safeguards. "The development of Iran's nuclear program is in line with technical needs and is being carried out fully under the Agency's safeguards supervision," he said.

He also referred to the rights of countries to pursue peaceful nuclear energy use, including enrichment.

"Respect for the decisions and policies of countries in the peaceful use of nuclear energy, including the fuel cycle (enrichment), is recognized in relevant international documents, and these statements by the Director General, which are tinged with political flavor, cannot ignore these facts," Gharibabadi noted.

Gharibabadi stressed that Iran’s enrichment program has no military goals, and clarified that the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) does not impose restrictions on enrichment levels as long as activities remain peaceful and are monitored by the IAEA.

"Enrichment is not restricted under the Non-Proliferation Treaty as long as it is under the supervision of the Agency and does not deviate from peaceful purposes," he said.

The senior diplomat also took aim at Grossi’s failure to address the root cause of the current situation, namely the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and the failure of other parties to fulfill their obligations. “What Grossi’s statements never mentioned is the root cause of the current situation, which was the failure of the other parties to fulfill their obligations under the JCPOA and the unilateral withdrawal of the United States from it,” Gharibabadi remarked.

He concluded by calling for constructive, fair talks to resolve the issue. “Not mentioning this issue in a biased manner undermines the international community’s trust in the UN institutions in correctly explaining the facts by the highest relevant authorities. From this perspective, regardless of whether the JCPOA is relevant or not, it should be noted that constructive and fair talks based on mutual respect and balanced commitments, including in the area of lifting sanctions, will be a sustainable solution,” he said.

By Khagan Isayev