State Department Spokesman Philip Crowley said in a press briefing on Monday that, “These are antics that we’ve seen from Iran in the past … This magical mystery tour, if you want to describe it as that, is not a substitute for what Iran has to do, which is to cooperate fully and transparently with the IAEA.”
He added, “We should just be reminded that the IAEA has said that – and made clear that the – Iran has not yet been able to fully answer the questions that have been raised about its nuclear programs. And so this tour or whatever Iran has planned is not a substitute for sustained, credible, and transparent interaction with the IAEA.”
Asked if the US is encouraging the invited parties to turn the invitation down, Mr. Crowley said, “If we’re asked for our view, we’re not attending, but we do not see any reason for others to attend either.”
“It’s a pretty clear public relations stunt by Iran. So we don’t think that anyone who might take this tour is going to learn anything substantive on such a visit,” he added.