Saudi Arabia Politicizing Technical Issues: Iranian Envoy
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna deplored “misleading” comments by some Saudi officials on Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, saying problems arise when technical issues become political.
Addressing a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of Governors in Vienna on Monday, Kazem Gharibabadi hit back at his Saudi counterpart over his remarks about the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in the meeting and said the kingdom’s envoy has raised some claims based on political considerations.
“As a newcomer, Saudi Arabia is developing and implementing a non-transparent nuclear program and completing the construction of its first research reactor, which is soon ready to load nuclear fuel,” the Iranian diplomat said.
“What was said by the country regarding the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is far from reality and is misleading,” he said, adding, “The problem arises when technical issues become political.”
The Bushehr power plant started operating in 2011 and reached its full capacity the following year.
In 2014, Russia signed a cooperation contract with Iran to help build the second and third Bushehr reactors, which are scheduled for launch in 2024 and 2026, respectively.
Iran has repeatedly enunciated its nuclear program as exclusively civilian, subject to the most intensive UN supervisions ever.
In 2015, Tehran signed a nuclear deal with six world powers known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which forged close cooperation between Iran and the IAEA.
The IAEA has been tasked with supervising the technical aspects of the agreement’s implementation.
The US, however, severely undermined the pact by abandoning it in May 2018 despite numerous IAEA reports on Tehran’s full compliance with the deal.
