Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday called for continued cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog, while warning against succumbing to “bullying” based on “unsubstantiated allegations “.
“Cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in safeguards regulation must be maintained,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a meeting with scientists, experts and officials. Iranian nuclear weapons.
In his speech on Sunday, the Supreme Leader said agreements could be reached in some areas, but stressed that “the existing infrastructure of the nuclear industry should not be affected”.
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran “does not need to succumb to the pressure of unfounded allegations and demands based on intimidation,” Khamenei said, without specifying the demands or claims.
Iran’s nuclear program has long come under scrutiny from Western powers, leading to sanctions that have crippled the country’s economy.
A 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers granted the Islamic republic relief from international sanctions in exchange for curbs on its atomic program.
But in 2018, the United States unilaterally withdrew from the deal and reimposed the sanctions, prompting Tehran to backtrack on its own commitments to restrict nuclear activity, including uranium enrichment.
Efforts to revive the deal have so far failed to yield results.
At the end of May, after months of quarreling over the issue of traces of nuclear materials found in previously undeclared sites, the UN agency announced progress and declared the file closed.
However, the watchdog also noted that Iran has significantly increased its stockpile of enriched uranium in recent months.
Iran has always denied any ambition to develop a nuclear weapons capability, insisting that its activities are entirely peaceful.
Khamenei reiterated on Sunday the denial of any attempt to acquire a nuclear weapon, in accordance with “our Islamic principles”.
“Otherwise they wouldn’t have been able to stop it,” he continued, “just as they haven’t been able to stop our nuclear advance so far.”
rkh/jsa