Russia says US remains isolated in IAEA Board of Governors's meeting on Iran

London, Nov 21, IRNA - Russia says the US remained isolated in Thursday night’s session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Board of Governors that discussed Iran’s nuclear energy programme. 

“Debates on Iran in IAEA Board of Governors today were tough… Almost all are fully committed to the JCPOA. The US remain isolated,” tweeted Russia’s Ambassador to international organisations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov on Thursday. 

The IAEA’s Board of Governors discussed Iran’s nuclear energy programme on Thursday after Tehran scaled down on some of its nuclear commitments for the fourth time during the past eight months. 

Kazem Qarib Abadi, Iran’s Ambassador to international organisations in Vienna said that Europe should pay a price to maintain “the world’s most important diplomatic achievement”. 

“It’s completely visible that turning a blind eye to the current state of the affairs shows that Europeans are not ready yet to pay the necessary price for maintaining the most important diplomatic achievement and as they call it one of the most important foundations of non-proliferation architecture,” he said. 

He mentioned that the only way to keep 2015 nuclear agreement, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is that all sides live up to their commitments, adding that Europe needs to define the US destructive role as the main reason for the current state of the affairs instead of criticizing Iran. 

Qarib Abadi also noted that western claims about nuclear proliferation due to resumption of Iran’s nuclear energy programme is “baseless”, stressing that such comments won’t stop Iran from continuing its national plans. 

IAEA’s Director General Cornel Feruta stressed that his agency continues “positive” collaboration with Iran. 

The US envoy voiced concern about Tehran’s moves to reduce its nuclear commitments and the British ambassador stressed that his country supports IAEA’s verification of Iran’s nuclear energy programme.