US, France, Germany & UK call on Iran to 'cooperate' with UN nuclear watchdog IAEA

On Tuesday, Germany, the United Kingdom, as well as France, which is collectively known as the E3, asked Iran to reconsider its decision to halt the implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), under which it offers special audit permits to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors. According to diplomats, the United States, the UK, France, and Germany have filed a motion to the United Nation's atomic energy watchdog, IAEA to censure Iran for its "lack of cooperation" with the organisation. 

In a statement, the nations said, “We urge Iran to stop and reverse all measures that reduce transparency and to ensure full and timely cooperation with the IAEA,” Anadolu Agency reported.  

Indicating to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the "Iran nuclear deal," which was inked in 2015, the nations added, "Our objective remains to preserve the JCPOA and to support ongoing diplomatic efforts for a negotiated solution allowing for the return of Iran and the US to full compliance with their JCPOA commitments”.  

Censure resolution, supported by E3 and US has been approved by 30 of the 35 governors

In addition to this, the censure resolution, supported by Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, was approved by 30 of the 35 governors at the IAEA conference in Vienna. Russia and China voted negative, according to Russian Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov. India, Libya, and Pakistan were the only countries to abstain. 

Following the vote, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States issued a joint statement saying that the censure "sends an unambiguous message to Iran that it must meet its safeguards obligations and provide technically credible clarifications on outstanding safeguards issues,” Associated Press reported. 

While on the other hand, Iran's Foreign Ministry slammed the sanction as a political, wrong, and unconstructive decision. An Iranian official previously warned the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Tehran had been considering "other measures" as well. 

Apart from this, the nations further emphasised that Iran's move is another breach of Tehran's nuclear-related pledges under the JCPOA. They went on to say that this would limit the IAEA's capacity to monitor and verify Iran's nuclear programme and operations. 

Meanwhile, Iran switched off two UN monitoring devices on Wednesday which have been used to supervise the Islamic Republic's uranium enrichment, further increasing the crisis over its nuclear program as the nuclear deal between Tehran and Western powers remained in shambles. 

Authorities have disabled the "beyond-safeguards cameras of the measuring Online Enrichment Monitor... and flowmeter," according to a state TV story, which was later echoed by other Iranian media. That appears to be a reference to the IAEA's online monitors, which keep an eye on the enrichment of uranium gas through pipework at enrichment plants, Associated Press reported.  

Image: AP