LOC22:31
19:31 GMT
PARIS, May 2 (KUNA) -- Highly-mediatized "revelations" on Iran's nuclear sector by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu earlier this week are not new and were already known and were motivations in negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran in 2015, French Minister for the European Affairs said on Wednesday.
In an interview with "Radio Classique" here, European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau said that the indications Iran was seeking to develop a military programme for its nuclear sector was suspected by the international community and this was a motivation to get an agreement for Tehran to stop such activities.
"All this was before the signature of an agreement (with Iran)," the minister pointed out.
The Israeli premier points to "suspicion of military-type activities on Iranian side," again before the Vienna agreements, she noted.
"Of course! What a scoop?" she said ironically, calling on Israel to now hand over all documents it has to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is specifically the body to examine the Iranian nuclear files.
Israel does not cooperate with the IAEA or other competent bodies on its own nuclear activities and is believed to possess numerous atomic weapons.
The suspicions of a military direction for Iranian nuclear research "was naturally why we negotiated for years to bring the Iranians to sign an accord and stop developing a nuclear programme that was not going in the right direction," Loiseau affirmed.
She said that Netanyahu's statements were "an old Israeli position that consists of not believing in the nuclear agreement signed with Iran, even when the IAEA controls show us that this agreement is respected by Iran." (end)
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