Israel slams UN atomic watchdog for closing Iran investigation

Israel blasts the closure of an International Atomic Energy Agency investigation into a suspicious Iranian site, calling it “a matter of great concern.”

“The explanations provided by Iran for the presence of nuclear material at the site are not reliable or technically possible,” says Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat.

“Iran continues to lie to the IAEA and deceive the international community.”

Earlier this week, the IAEA called off its investigation of traces of man-made uranium found at Marivan, some 525 kilometers (325 miles) southeast of Tehran.

Analysts had repeatedly linked Marivan to Iran’s secret military nuclear program and accused Iran of conducting high-explosive tests there in the early 2000s.

Haiat warns that closing the case “could have extremely dangerous consequences” and that it sends a message to the Iranians that they can “continue to deceive the international community on their way to achieving a full military nuclear program.”

He also charges that the decision “severely damages the professional credibility of the IAEA.”