TEHRAN, IRNA – Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has sharply criticized the United States, France, Britain, and Germany for what he called the “political misuse” of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warning that any resolution against Tehran at this week’s Board of Governors meeting in Vienna will provoke a decisive response from the Islamic Republic.
Speaking during his weekly press conference on Monday, Baqaei said Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA remains rooted in its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. However, he said Western powers have repeatedly used the IAEA as a political tool, manipulating agency reports to serve their own agendas. “First they pressure the IAEA to produce a politically motivated report, then they exploit that very report for political purposes,” he asserted.
The United States and its European allies are reportedly pushing for a resolution that accuses Iran of “non-compliance” with its safeguards obligations—a move not seen in nearly two decades and one that undermines the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA), according to Iranian officials. Tehran maintains that the issues in question were already resolved under that agreement and warned that further escalation will be met with firm retaliation.
On Gaza: U.S. Complicity and International Inaction
Baqaei also strongly condemned the ongoing Zionist attacks in Gaza, accusing the Zionist entity of committing genocide amid the silence of the international community. He particularly criticized the U.S. for its repeated use of the veto at the United Nations Security Council, which he said grants the Zionist entity impunity for its crimes. He called on global institutions to take immediate and serious steps to end the horrific and tragic humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the West Bank.
