Iranian Envoy In Vienna Rejects Israel's Accusations Of 'Clandestine' Nuclear Activities

Iran is not carrying out any clandestine activities aimed at developing nuclear weapons, as claimed by Israel, as the nation's religion prohibits any production or use of weapons of mass destruction, Kazem Gharib Abadi, Iran's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, told Sputnik in an interview

VIENNA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th September, 2019) Iran is not carrying out any clandestine activities aimed at developing nuclear weapons, as claimed by Israel, as the nation's religion prohibits any production or use of weapons of mass destruction, Kazem Gharib Abadi, Iran's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, told Sputnik in an interview.

Earlier in September, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli intelligence had found evidence of a secret nuclear weapons development site in central Iran, adding that following Israel's inquiry with Iran concerning the site, Tehran proceeded to destroy all evidence of the site.

"Iran does not have any clandestine nuclear activity ... Acquiring or producing nuclear bomb is prohibited under our religious principles. And there is a decree - we call it fatwa - by our Supreme Leader that the production and use of weapons of mass destruction, including the nuclear bomb, is prohibited. And also production and use of weapons of mass destruction has not been [provided for] in our defense doctrine.

We are not relied on weapons of mass destruction," Gharib Abadi said.

When asked about recent media reports about uranium traces found by IAEA experts at a Tehran facility previously claimed by Israel to be an "atomic warehouse," the diplomat declined to comment citing confidentiality of the concrete aspects of cooperation between the UN nuclear watchdog and Iran. He noted, however, that some 358 inspections from the agency visited Iran over the past year, noting that the relevant local authorities closely cooperated with the organization.

"We are working with the agency, and the agency has access for all the locations that is needed. Even in the 16th report on the JCPOA, the agency made it very clear that the agency has access to all the locations that needed. So all these are positive indications regarding the cooperation between Iran and the agency," Gharib Abadi stressed.