The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is holding a vote today on a resolution proposed by the so-called “E3” countries: the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, supported by the United States. The resolution calls on Iran to “immediately remedy” its violations of obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Iran is expected to be supported by China, Russia, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Iran’s state news agency IRNA has already described the resolution as “unconstructive and destructive.” The resolution accuses Iran of “non-compliance with safeguards obligations” – despite, as IRNA emphasizes, its “ongoing and extensive cooperation with the IAEA.” According to IRNA, the document states that “numerous instances since 2019 of Iran failing to fully and timely cooperate with the Agency regarding undeclared nuclear materials and activities at several nuclear infrastructure sites… constitute non-compliance with the provisions of the Safeguards Agreement.”
The E3 and the United States, in their report presented to the IAEA, strongly condemned Tehran’s violations of obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). If adopted, this will be the first time in 20 years that Iran is officially accused of violating its nuclear commitments.
The presentation of the resolution coincides with ongoing nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States, the sixth round of which is scheduled to take place in Muscat on June 15.
At the first session of the IAEA Board of Governors, its Director General Rafael Grossi stated that Iran had not provided credible and technically satisfactory responses to the Agency’s questions regarding previously undeclared nuclear sites. The draft resolution, seen by AFP, urges Iran to “immediately address its non-compliance” with NPT obligations. It also expresses “deep regret” that Tehran “refused full cooperation with the Agency, despite repeated requests by the Board and the broad opportunities provided.”
It is also noted that the IAEA is not able to confirm that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful, which, according to the document, raises questions that fall under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Security Council.
Iranian media and officials have previously warned of harsh retaliation if such a resolution is adopted. Behrouz Kamalvandi, Deputy Director of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, has threatened a sharp reduction in cooperation between Iran and the IAEA. The latest IAEA report also noted Iran’s lack of cooperation, including its failure to provide reliable answers to questions and incidents of document theft and sanitization of undeclared sites.
In recent weeks, officials of the Islamic Republic, including Reza Najafi, Iran’s representative to the IAEA in Vienna, have sharply criticized the Agency’s latest quarterly report, calling it “detached from reality” and “politically motivated.”
China and Russia, in a joint statement, supported Iran’s position during the IAEA Board of Governors meeting, stating: “The claims in the draft resolution regarding Iran’s non-compliance, as well as the Agency’s conclusion (on its inability to confirm the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program), lack factual and legal basis.”
Undoubtedly, if the IAEA Board of Governors adopts the anti-Iran resolution, it will strengthen the position of the United States and the E3 in pressuring Iran to curb its nuclear program, the continuation of which, according to the resolution’s sponsors, may destabilize the Middle East region.
IAEA ADOPTS ANTI-IRAN RESOLUTION
The resolution was approved by the majority of the member states of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The document officially states that Iran has failed to meet its safeguards obligations under nuclear non-proliferation agreements.
19 out of 35 IAEA Board member states voted in favor of the resolution:
United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Ecuador, Ukraine, Canada, Georgia, Japan, South Korea, Morocco, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Colombia.
Russia, China, and Burkina Faso voted against the resolution.
11 countries abstained, including:
South Africa, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Brazil, Ghana, Thailand, Algeria, Armenia, and Bangladesh.
Paraguay and Venezuela did not participate in the vote, as they do not currently hold voting rights.