Israel accuses IAEA of hiding critical information on Iran's nuclear progress

Jerusalem, Aug. 30 (ANI): Israel has accused the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of "hiding critical information on Iran's nuclear progress" despite criticizing the country in its report for defying United Nations Security Council decisions.

"This is a harsh report, but it does not reflect all the information possessed by the IAEA on Iranian efforts to advance its military program, on its continuing efforts to hide and deceive, and on [Iran's] noncooperation with the IAEA and the demands of the international community," The Jerusalem Post quoted Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor, as saying.

In the report, IAEA officials had said that Iran was stonewalling the agency about "possible military dimensions" to its program. IAEA said it had pressed Iran to clarify its uranium enrichment activities and reassure the world that it's not trying to build an atomic weapon.

While Israeli officials would not give details about the information the IAEA was allegedly hiding, "we're talking about information that would be far more incriminating for Iran," a senior Israeli official said.

"The 35 member states of the IAEA can't let [the organization] get away with hiding critical information on the dangers of the Iranian program," the official added.

Meanwhile, the Iranian government reacted positively to the report's publication.

The report confirmed "that Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful," Iran's envoy to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh said on Saturday.

"It shows Iran has continued its cooperation with the agency ... but at the same time will not accept any political pressure to take measures beyond its legal commitments," he added.

But the Vienna-based agency bluntly stated: "Iran has not suspended its enrichment-related activities.

"There remain a number of outstanding issues which give rise to concerns and which need to be clarified to exclude the existence of possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program," according to the report. (ANI)