TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran's Envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency Reza Najafi in a letter to IAEA Chief Yukiya Amano strongly deplored the recent violation of Iran's airspace by an Israeli drone which sought to spy on an Iranian nuclear enrichment site, and called on the UN nuclear watchdog to condemn the act.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns this act of aggression and, while reiterating its position that it reserves the right to undertake all legitimate necessary measures to defend its territory and warns against such provocative acts which would result in serious consequences for the aggressor, expects the Agency to condemn this act of aggression which is in violation of the IAEA Statute and relevant resolutions of its Policy Making Organ," the letter said.

The full text of the letter is as follows:

Permanent Mission of the ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

No. 140/2014 09 September 2014

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Excellency,

Given the inviolability of peaceful nuclear facilities, I have the honor to draw your kind attention to the following:

On 23 August 2014, an unmanned aerial vehicle (spy drone), built and operated, by the Israeli regime, violated the Iranian airspace in an attempt to conduct spy mission in the zone where Natanz Nuclear Facilities are located. This act, following the repeated rhetoric by the Israeli regime's authorities threatening the Islamic Republic of Iran, constitutes a flagrant violation of territorial integrity and national sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran in contravention of the principles of international law and provision of the United Nations Charter. It would also threaten regional peace and security, and it requires that International community condemn in the strongest term such act of hostility.

This act of aggression which once again reveals the true nature of the Israeli regime, is also in violation of the relevant IAEA General Conference Resolutions on inviolability of peaceful nuclear activities and installations, including GC (XXXXN)/RES/533 and GC(XXX)/RES/444 stipulating, inter alia, that "any armed attack on and threat against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and the Statute of the Agency".

The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns this act of aggression and, while reiterating its position that it reserves the right to undertake all legitimate necessary measures to defend its territory and warns against such provocative acts which would result in serious consequences for the aggressor, expects the Agency to condemn this act of aggression which is in violation of the IAEA Statute and relevant resolutions of its Policy Making Organ.

It would be appreciated should you have the present letter published as an INFCIRC.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

(End of letter)

On August 24, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced in a statement that it had shot down an Israeli drone near the highly sensitive nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz in Central Iran.

The IRGC Public Relations Department said in the statement that the Israeli pilotless aircraft was a radar-evading, stealth drone with the mission to spy on Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment plant.

The IRGC also pointed out in its statement that the Israeli hostile aircraft had been targeted by a surface-to-air missile.

The IRGC has warned that it "reserves the right of response and retaliation for itself".

By Fars News Agency

 

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