EXCLUSIVE: Iranian ambassador to IAEA warns of US escalation

Iran says US could use resolution to further escalate fighting, warning Tehran 'will defend to the end'

In an exclusive interview with CGTN, Reza Najafi, Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), suggested that the United States could use the recently adopted IAEA resolution as an excuse for further escalation, including a new "aggression" or "military operation," pointing to a previous IAEA resolution in February after which US-Israeli forces started their air strikes against Iran.

Najafi accused the UN’s nuclear watchdog of making a "politically motivated" decision to report Iran to the UN Security Council, arguing that US-Israeli attacks, not a lack of Iranian cooperation, have prevented access to its nuclear facilities. 

Najafi said that Iran continues to cooperate with the IAEA, with inspectors expected to visit the Bushehr nuclear power plant, but insisted that access to sites affected by the conflict depends on an end to hostilities.

He also warned that Tehran will respond to the resolution based on its assessment of its consequences, stressing that Iran will continue to defend its national interests and 'will not surrender' to US or Israeli pressure.

Here is the transcript of the interview.

CGTN: Ambassador Najafi, according to the IAEA resolution, Iran is breaching its nonproliferation obligations. How do you react?

Najafi: The access to all facilities existed before the attack, and it was the attack and the aggression against Iran which caused the current situation. So Iran should not be blamed for that. And claiming that Iran is not cooperating or breaching an obligation is technically and legally wrong and a false assumption.

CGTN: So cooperation will resume as soon as the attacks cease.

Najafi: We continue to cooperate with the agency. Right now, there is a plan for the inspectors to go to Iran and to visit and to inspect the Bushehr power plant. So the cooperation is there. But for the attacked sites - yes, first of all, there should be an end to all hostilities in the region and that we can be assured that there wouldn't be any recurrence and restart of the war and aggression, especially against our facilities. 

CGTN: Why do you think the resolution has been presented now?

Najafi: In the past we have witnessed that after adoption of a resolution, there was an aggression and military operation.

CGTN: So you're saying this could be a step before a further escalation of...

Najafi: I say this was the habit of the US and, of course, its allies. It has been the case in the past. It could be in the future.

CGTN: And why do you call the resolution political and biased?

Najafi: The resolution is submitted and tabled by the aggressor, the US. So it's very clear that there is an intention and political intention behind that. In addition to that, the pattern of the voting shows that a group of countries, mostly the US and its allies, supported the resolution, but the others refrained either by voting against the resolution or abstaining. So for that reason, in our view, this resolution is politically motivated. And it is just the narrow political consideration of certain countries, especially the aggressor.

CGTN: Your government has announced to retaliate in case such a resolution is passed. Is this still the case and what form of retaliation?

Najafi: Well, we have a very principled position. We will continue to protect our national interests by all means. For a reaction to this resolution, we will follow the same principle. We should see what would be the actual effects of such a resolution. In our view, there wouldn't be any actual effect by this resolution. But we will assess and based on our assessment we will react to that. 

One thing is very clear. The current situation is caused by the criminal acts of aggression by the US and the Israeli regime, and the war was started by them. Iran just defended itself. We continue to defend ourselves. They should learn from the lessons of this war. They cannot impose anything on Iran. The Iranian great nation will never surrender to their will, and we will not let them loot our oil. So, I believe that the message of the Iranian nation is that we will defend to the end.