The inspections of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Iran would continue, DPA quoted Iran's foreign ministry spokesman as saying Sunday. Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said in his weekly press briefing that in line with Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the IAEA inspections would continue as before, but refrained from saying what would happen if a third United Nations Security Council resolution was issued against the Islamic state. The spokesman said that cooperation with the IAEA would still remain on NPT criteria and not the IAEA Additional Protocol which would allow the United Nations nuclear watchdog snap inspections of Iranian nuclear sites. Tehran has indicated that the IAEA Additional Protocol would only be resumed if the Iranian case was returned from the UN Security Council to the IAEA in Vienna. Hosseini reiterated that a new resolution would have no legal basis as all outstanding technical issues with the IAEA have already been settled and the status of Iranian nuclear dossier should therefore be returned to normal. While referring to the US insistence to push with a third resolution against Iran, including further financial sanctions, the spokesman said the nuclear dispute was "not the main issue and just an excuse" for Washington to put pressure on Iran. Iranian officials have several times stressed that giving concessions in the nuclear dispute would pave the way for the US and the West to come up with more demands from Tehran.
