Sun, 21 Feb 2010 | PressTV The UN nuclear watchdog's latest report on Iran was clearly tailored to suit Western interests and demands, says the Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (picture).
Rafsanjani said Saturday that the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Yukiya Amano was “heavily influenced” by Western countries when he issued the report.
“The report was clearly custom-made for Western powers,” said the former Iranian President. “There is no way an international organization with an independent approach would make such comments.”
Rafsanjani criticized attempts in the West to politicize and demonize Iran's enrichment program, saying they are all aimed at creating a climate of fear and intimidation, both in the region and in the world.
“The tidal wave of threats and accusations against Iran's nuclear activity has certainly been unprecedented, but [Western powers] should come to realize that they have no chance of forcing Iranians [into giving up their enrichment program],” said Rafsanjani.
Rafsanjani went to add that one expected that "foreign enemies of Iran would not opt for "aggressive behavior" after millions of Iranians took part in rallies — held during the 31st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution — and threw their weight behind the Islamic establishment.
His comments come only three days after the UN nuclear agency released a report about Iran's nuclear program.
The UN nuclear watchdog has carried out the highest number of inspections in Iran compared to any other country throughout its history, and found nothing to indicate that the program has diverted toward weaponization.
The report, while critical of some aspects of Iran's enrichment activities, confirmed once more the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in the country.
Iran's ambassador to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh said on Thursday, and then again on Saturday, that the report shows more than ever that Tehran's nuclear activity is in fact peaceful.
But Western officials, who have long advocated stringent measures against Iran, have used the two-sided report as an opportunity to impose a new round of sanctions on the country.
The Tehran government has rejected Western concern over the report as “groundless”.
"It seems that unsubstantiated allegations that certain countries had previously made about Iran have once again been introduced in this report," ISNA quoted Soltanieh as saying.
"Issues pertaining to the alleged studies, missiles and explosives are worn-out topics, which have already been dismissed in [former IAEA chief Mohammad ElBaradei's] reports. They are not anything new," he added.
