EU harshly criticizes Iran’s nuclear defiance, says diplomacy way to resolve concerns

VIENNA – The European Union has harshly criticized Iran for what it says is Tehran’s refusal to engage the international community on concerns about its nuclear agenda.

An EU statement to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation board says Iran has “not engaged seriously and without preconditions in talks aimed at restoring international confidence” that Tehran is not seeking to develop nuclear arms.

Iran denies any interest in such weapons.

The resolution says the European Union “shares the continuing serious concerns” of the IAEA about activities that include the suspected “development of a nuclear payload for a missile.”

The statement, delivered Wednesday, also says the 27-nation bloc shares a commitment with world powers to seek a diplomatic solution to concerns about “the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.”