Iran's parliament to discuss means of cooperation with IAEA: lawmaker

TEHRAN, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission will discuss to reconsider the means of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the semi-official Fars news agency reported Sunday.

The senior lawmaker, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, told Fars on Sunday that "unfortunately, the agency and the director general follow the guidelines of the United States and performs within a political atmosphere" instead of within the framework of IAEA regulations and implementing its obligations.

Therefore, the Commission will discuss the ways of cooperation with the IAEA in its meeting this week, said Boroujerdi, adding that "we believe that (Iran's) cooperation with the IAEA needs reconsideration."

The IAEA said on Tuesday in its latest report on Iran's nuclear program that "credible" evidence showed that Iran has been seeking to obtain nuclear weapons.

Tehran has completely rejected the report, calling the IAEA report "imbalanced, unprofessional and politically-motivated."

On Wednesday, Iran's permanent representative to the IAEA Ali- Asghar Soltanieh said that Iran was likely to reconsider means of its cooperation with the IAEA.

Soltanieh told state TV that due to the "historical mistake" that the IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano had made over his report on Iran's nuclear program, the Islamic Republic is likely to reconsider the means of cooperation with the IAEA.

Asked about some Iranian lawmakers' views that Iran may walk out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Soltanieh said that Iranian lawmakers may have their own independent views.

However, the ways of cooperation with the IAEA in the future depends on the decision of the Islamic Republic's high-ranking officials, he said.