EU Slams Exclusions Of Iran Nuclear Inspectors

EU Slams Exclusions Of Iran Nuclear Inspectors

The European Union has called on Iran to reconsider its decision to withdraw accreditation from several inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Iranian media and a Western diplomat said the decision concerned eight inspectors, all from France and Germany and the International Atomic Energy Agency had warned on Saturday that the “disproportionate and unprecedented” move would seriously hamper its work.

Brussels, which acts as coordinator for the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers known as the JCPOA, said it was “highly concerned” by the development.

They expressed worry over the direct and severe impact of this decision on the agency’s ability to conduct its verification activities, which includes the monitoring of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA],” a spokesman said.

In the meantime, Iran’s foreign ministry said on Saturday that the move was in retaliation for “political abuses” by the United States, France, Germany and Britain.

In 2015, major world powers reached the accord with Iran under which Tehran would curb its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from crippling economic sanctions.

But that started to unravel in 2018 when Donald Trump, the US president at the time, withdrew from the deal and re-imposed sanctions. Efforts to revive the deal have been fruitless so far.

Tehran in turn stepped up its nuclear programme, while continuing to deny that it harbours ambitions of developing nuclear weapons capability.

Britain, France and Germany, European signatories to the deal, announced last week that they would not lift sanctions on Iran next month as originally foreseen.