U.S. Ambassador Jackie Wolcott told the International Atomic Energy Agency board on Tuesday: “Iran has a history of deception, and we must ensure that Iran’s actions do not distract from the IAEA’s vital verification efforts….Nuclear escalation of the kind Iran is attempting will only deepen the pressure Iran is facing and exacerbate the crisis Iran continues to make for itself. Such brinkmanship and extortion tactics will neither resolve the current impasse nor bring Iran sanctions relief.”
“The United States is open to negotiation with Iran without preconditions, when the time is right, to resolve the issues that divide it from the international community, and we are offering Iran a possibility of a full normalization of relations and the lifting of sanctions.”
“Our goal remains the conclusion of a comprehensive deal with Iran that addresses our concerns, ends Iran’s destabilizing behaviors, and fully reintegrates Iran into the international community. To achieve relief from sanctions pressure, however, Iran must be willing to end its malign behavior and take lasting steps that deny it any pathway to nuclear weapons.”
“Iran must finally address why it secretly retained an immense archive of materials from its past nuclear weapons program that could easily facilitate a resumption of nuclear weapons work. And…in light of new concerns…we should all be asking ourselves what else is the Iranian regime continuing to hide?”
(U.S. Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna)
