Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the International Atomic Energy Agency on Sunday of ineffectually policing Iran’s nuclear activities and suggested the UN watchdog risked becoming politicized and irrelevant, Reuters news agency reported.
The criticism followed an IAEA report last week that Iran had provided a satisfactory answer on one case of suspect uranium particles and re-installed some monitoring equipment originally put in place under a now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal.
With Iran having enriched enough uranium to 60% fissile purity for two nuclear bombs, if refined further – something it denies wanting or planning – Israel has redoubled threats to launch preemptive military strikes if international diplomacy fails.
"Israel" admits to Iran's win in regard to the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency.#Iran and the #IAEA were embroiled in a disagreement sparked by the IAEA's Israeli-influenced charges hurled against #Tehran's peaceful nuclear program, which prompted the IAEA's… pic.twitter.com/vXR5y8zJDC
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 31, 2023
“Iran is continuing to lie to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The agency’s capitulation to Iranian pressure is a black stain on its record,” Netanyahu told his cabinet in televised remarks.
“If the IAEA becomes a political organization, then its oversight activity in Iran is without significance, as will be its reports on Iran’s nuclear activity,” Netanyahu added.
The IAEA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(MEMO, PC)
