Iran Criticized The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors adopted a resolution calling on Iran to step up cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
The IAEA's 35-member board of governors on June 5 adopted the condemnation resolution, introduced by the three Western European countries, known as the E3, Britain, France and Germany, which were parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, by a vote of 20 to 2, with 12 abstentions.
In a statement, Iran's Foreign Ministry called the resolution a “political and anti-constructive” move and said it “strongly condemns” it.
He added that Tehran would “continue its technical cooperation” with the monitoring agency under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and its safeguards agreement with the IAEA.
Ahead of the vote, Iran had warned it would respond to the condemnation resolution.
After the resolution was passed, Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said the Iranian government had “started taking steps” in response to the vote, but did not provide details.
“From past experience, [the West] “We strongly hope that Iran will not abandon its inalienable rights in the face of political pressure,” he said.
Noor News, an Iranian outlet affiliated with Ali Shamkhani, a senior political adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Warned He warned on June 6 that pressuring Iran would only encourage it to expand its nuclear program.
Meanwhile, on June 6, Kaihan newspaper, whose editor-in-chief is appointed by the supreme leader, Requested Expel all IAEA inspectors from Iran; Alleged The resolution was reportedly intended to influence Iran's upcoming presidential elections by forcing voters to choose a government that would negotiate with the West.
While the resolution passed, it did not receive as many votes in favor as the previous two resolutions: the June 2022 resolution passed by 30-2, and the November 2022 resolution passed by 26-2.
Iran responded to the June 2022 resolution by removing IAEA cameras and monitoring equipment from several of its nuclear facilities. Following the November 2022 censure, Tehran began enriching uranium to 60 percent purity at a second facility, the Fordo plant.
In September 2023, despite the absence of a resolution against Iran, Iran took steps to bar several experienced UN inspectors from monitoring Iranian equipment.
The new resolution calls on Iran to reinstate veteran inspectors.
Iran claims to be cooperative with the IAEA, but IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi claims that Tehran has failed to provide a “technically credible” explanation for the traces of uranium found at two old, undeclared sites.
Damon Golriz, a lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences at The Hague, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that the resolution could be a step towards a “political decision” by European countries to induce the “immediate withdrawal” of sanctions against Iran by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
The “snapback” mechanism is outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which established the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. But the option to reimpose sanctions expires in October 2025.
“The activation of the 'snapback' mechanism would take us back to the situation 15 years ago, when six UN resolutions obliged the world to exert pressure on Iran,” Golriz said.
