UN nuclear chief of inspections operations resigns
Days after the US President Donald Trump announced his country’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal between Iran and the five plus one group, reinstating sanctions against Tehran in defiance of the will of the international community and violating international resolutions on this matter, draws wide international criticism even from Washington’s closest allies.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that UN Under-Secretary-General for Inspections, Tero Varjoranta, has resigned without giving a reason.
Varjoranta’s resignation comes after the United States announced its withdrawal from the nuclear deal signed by the «five plus one» group with Iran.
Tero Varjoranta resigned on May 11, 2018 a spokesman for the IAEA said, adding that «safeguards activities will continue to be carried out in a very professional manner».
«The IAEA cannot comment on secret personal matters», the spokesman said, adding that the IAEA director-general «intends to appoint a permanent successor to Varjoranta as soon as possible».
The IAEA, based in Vienna, said the head of management team on the Iranian file would be acting as Varjoranta.
Tero Varjoranta is a Finnish national and has been deputy director general of the IAEA and head of its safeguards department responsible for verifying the NPT’s adherence to the NPT since October 2013.
