Iran debunks nuclear activities allegations by Saudi Arabia and Europe as 'baseless'

Iran on Thursday, 7 October, dismissed Saudi Arabia and Europe’s allegations pertaining to Tehran’s nuclear programme claiming them as “baseless”. According to Xinhua, a representative of the Islamic Republic to the UN reiterated the “uncontested reality” and said that Iran has so far adhered to the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) terms. Representative of Iran, Heidar Ali Balouji, also added that the US and the E3 (Britain, France and Germany), on the other hand, have “failed to meet their JCPOA obligations.

Iran's representative to the UNGA First Committee further went on to say that the European countries need to put pressure on the US to return to the full implementation of the JCPOA and the UN Security Council Resolution 2231. Balouji also denounced the Saudi representative’s anti-Iran allegations. He said that Saudi still pursues such policies and practices systematically in “gross violation” of their explicit legal obligations under the Charter of the UN.

Balouji’s remarks came after the British representative to the UNGA First Committee called on Iran to resume the Vienna talks without delay. The UK representative said that Iran escalatory nuclear activity undermines the counter-proliferation value of the JCPOA and threatens its preservation. During the same meeting, Riyadh’s representative, on the other hand, claimed that Iran’s continued enrichment of uranium beyond the JCPOA’s limits “poses a threat to the security of the countries of the region”.

Iran to ‘soon’ return to stalled nuclear talks 

Meanwhile, earlier this month, the Iranian Foreign Minister said that Tehran would “soon” return to the stalled nuclear talks in Vienna. Iran has said that its nuclear steps are reversible if Washington lifts all sanctions. Officials from both nations have said that several issues remain to be resolved before the accord can be revived.

Iran has been calling for an end to the US sanctions and said that the Islamic Republic is keen on having large scale political-economic engagements with the world. Iran's new President Ebrahim Raisi has asserted that he is eager to resume the JCPOA, highlighting that nuclear weapons have “no place” in Iran’s defence and deterrence policy. He has called for an end to the US sanctions and said that the Islamic Republic is keen on having large scale political-economic engagements with the world. “Nukes have no place in our defence doctrine and deterrence policy. Our country’s strategic policy is to consider the production and stockpiling of atomic weapons as forbidden,” Raisi said in a pre-recorded UNGA message.

(Image: AP)