Pompeo knocks Iran’s treatment of UN nuclear inspector

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo slammed Iran after it temporarily detained a nuclear inspector from the United Nations.

“This is an outrageous and unwarranted act of intimidation,” Pompeo said in a statement late Friday regarding the detention of an inspector with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog.

{mosads}”The United States fully supports the IAEA’s monitoring and verification activities in Iran, and we are alarmed at Iran’s lack of adequate cooperation,” he said.

“IAEA inspectors must be allowed to conduct their critical work unimpeded,” he added. “We call on Iran to immediately resolve all open issues with the IAEA and to afford Agency inspectors the privileges and immunities to which they are entitled.”

Iran claimed Thursday that the inspector tested positive for explosives when she tried to enter the Natanz facility.  

“Needless to say that Iran, like all other members of the agency, cannot condone any behavior or action which may be against the safety and security of its nuclear installations, especially … considering the past sabotage attempts in its nuclear facilities,” said Iranian representative Kazem Gharib Abadi at the time. 

This week’s incident appeared to be the first in which Iran detained a nuclear inspector since it signed a nuclear deal with the U.S. and other nations in 2015.

President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-era agreement and reimposed sanctions on Iran, increasing tensions between Washington and Tehran.