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JEDDAH: ����ֱ�� has denounced the intransigence of the Iranian side in dealing with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) demands regarding undeclared sites during the past year and a half.

Prince Abdullah bin Khalid bin Sultan, the Saudi ambassador to Austria and the Kingdom’s permanent representative to the UN and international organizations in Vienna, delivered his remarks during his participation in the March session of the IAEA board of governors, stressing the “unsatisfactory” responses that lack any technical credibility provided by the Iranian officials.

“(Iran’s responses) reflect the lack of seriousness to cooperate with the agency, despite the director general’s concern that there was no progress on outstanding and safeguards-related issues, despite IAEA’s willingness to engage Iran in proactive efforts to clarify and resolve those issues without further delay,” the prince said.

He noted that the draft resolution adopted at the June 2020 session demonstrates Iran’s motives for such abstention.

The IAEA board of governors adopted a resolution calling on Iran to fully cooperate with the IAEA in implementing its NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol and satisfy the IAEA’s requests without further delay.

“This confirms Iran’s continuation of its disinformation policy and reinforces doubts about what it is seeking with regard to its nuclear program,” the ambassador said.

He added: “Based on Iran’s repeated violations, with the suspension of the Additional Protocol, and Iran’s attempt to evade the implementation of the Additional Protocol and Modified code 3.1 of the subsidiary arrangements to Iran’s Safeguards Agreement, the Kingdom calls on Iran to cooperate fully with the IAEA in order to meet its requests and to answer the inquiries submitted to it without further delay and procrastination.”

The ambassador condemned Iran’s continuous transgressions and violations of the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), by expanding and developing its nuclear capabilities, including irreversible expertise and suspending the Additional Protocol that revealed to the world the secrets of its non-peaceful nuclear program, in addition to its plans to produce enriched uranium by 20 percent.

“Iran continues to implement its policy of threatening and blackmailing the international community, as it found shortcomings in the nuclear agreement from the outset and exploited them,” Prince Abdullah said.

He stressed the importance of a comprehensive nuclear agreement that covers all deficiencies in the current agreement, which guarantees preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons in any form and developing means of delivery.

The Kingdom’s permanent representative to the UN added that Iran seems to believe in a policy of “nuclear blackmail,” which is clearly reflected in their public statements.

“If Iran’s efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon are not contained, which is the intention of the Iranians behind this agreement from the beginning, thus representing a real risk of proliferation in the region, then this will lead to instability in the region and the world as a whole, further promoting its sponsorship of terrorism,” he said.

Prince Abdullah added that the international community must take a firm stand to stop the practice of blackmail and provocation, as it is the responsibility of the member states of the board of governors to maintain the safeguards system that is now “at stake.”

Soleimani’s shadow

Qassem Soleimani left a trail of death and destruction in his wake as head of Iran’s Quds Force … until his assassination on Jan. 3, 2020. Yet still, his legacy of murderous interference continues to haunt the region

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