By Pishtaz and AFP | 2023-09-18

BRUSSELS -- The United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog on Saturday (September 16) condemned Iran's "disproportionate and unprecedented" move to withdraw accreditation from several of its most experienced inspectors.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Grossi said this would seriously hamper the global watchdog's ability to carry out its work.

"Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran informed me of its decision to withdraw the designation of several experienced agency inspectors assigned to conduct verification activities in Iran" under an existing agreement, Grossi said.

"This follows a previous recent withdrawal of the designation of another experienced agency inspector for Iran," his statement added.

"With today's decision, Iran has effectively removed about one third of the core group of the agency's most experienced inspectors designated for Iran," Grossi said.

The United States and the E3 group -- France, Germany and the United Kingdom -- are threatening to call for a new resolution against Tehran at an IAEA board meeting.

'Deliberate refusal to engage earnestly'

"Iran persists in its deliberate refusal to engage earnestly with the agency," the United States and E3 group said in a joint statement last week.

If Iran does not fully abide by its obligations, the board will have to be prepared to take further action to support its secretariat and hold Iran accountable, they added.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in response that the move was in retaliation for "political abuses" by the United States, France, Germany and Britain that aimed to destroy the "atmosphere of cooperation."

He said Iran would "continue its positive cooperation within the framework of the agreements made, emphasizing the necessity of the agency's neutrality."

In his statement Saturday, Grossi said the experts affected had "unique knowledge in enrichment technology" and had previously conducted essential verification work at Iranian enrichment facilities under IAEA safeguards.

While the move was formally permitted under an existing agreement, Iran had done it "in a manner that affects in a direct and severe way the ability of the IAEA to conduct effectively its inspections in Iran," he said.

"I strongly condemn this disproportionate and unprecedented unilateral measure which affects the normal planning and conduct of agency verification activities in Iran and openly contradicts the cooperation that should exist between the Agency and Iran," he added.

Without effective cooperation from Tehran, the agency would not be able to "provide credible assurances that nuclear material and activities in Iran are for peaceful purposes," Grossi stressed.

EU slams exclusion of inspectors

The European Union (EU) on Sunday told Iran to reconsider its decision to withdraw accreditation from several IAEA inspectors.

Iranian media and a Western diplomat said the decision concerned eight inspectors, all from France and Germany.

Brussels, which acts as coordinator for the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), said it was "highly concerned" by the development.

"Particularly worrying is the direct and severe impact of this decision on the agency's ability to conduct its verification activities, which includes the monitoring of the JCPOA," a spokesman said.

"The EU urges Iran to reconsider its decision without delay."

Earlier this month, the IAEA said in confidential reports seen by AFP that Iran had made "no progress" on several outstanding nuclear issues.

These include reinstalling IAEA monitoring cameras Tehran had removed from its nuclear sites, or explaining the presence of uranium particles found in Iran.