US policies make sending IAEA inspectors to Iran risky, says Russian envoy

MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/. US policies are making it risky to send IAEA inspectors to Iran, as Washington has not provided guarantees that it will refrain from missile strikes, Russia’s Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, has said.

"They [the E3 and the United States] call on Iran to cooperate while specifically demanding the return of inspectors to Iranian territory. They also demand reports on the status of nuclear materials and facilities that have been subjected to US and Israeli attacks. It is as if the entire issue stems from Iran’s unwillingness to cooperate. In reality, the Americans themselves have never provided guarantees that they will stop launching missile strikes against Iranian territory. On the contrary, they threaten to do so practically every day, and sometimes several times a day," Ulyanov said.

"What kind of IAEA inspectors are we talking about under these circumstances? They could be killed there given the US position. Therefore, in my statement, I expressed the hope that the director general would refrain from sending inspectors to such an unsafe location until the Americans provide truly reliable guarantees that they will refrain from strikes on Iranian territory - strikes that could also endanger the inspectors," the Russian envoy emphasized.

Ulyanov also criticized the draft resolution on Iran, describing it as "completely ill-conceived" and "useless."

"It calls on Iran, among other things, to enter into negotiations, even though the very same Americans - who have derailed the negotiating process several times - are effectively obstructing a negotiated settlement. They launch fresh attacks without any provocation," he added.

Earlier, the IAEA Board of Governors adopted a resolution on Iran’s nuclear program proposed by the United States and three European countries. Twenty-three countries voted in favor, eight abstained, and three voted against. Iran’s mission to international organizations in Vienna described the resolution as biased and politically motivated.