UN nuclear watchdog board finds Iran not complying with obligations
Al Jazeera :
The United Nations nuclear watchdog’s Board of Governors has approved a resolution declaring Iran is not complying with its commitment to international nuclear safeguards, diplomatic sources told Al Jazeera, prompting a swift response from Tehran.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Board of Governors resolution passed on Thursday with 19 votes in favour, three against and 11 abstentions.
A key issue cited is Iran’s failure to provide the IAEA with credible explanations of how uranium traces detected at undeclared sites in Iran came to be there, despite the agency having investigated the issue for years.
A text of the resolution seen by the Reuters news agency said that “Iran’s many failures to uphold its obligations since 2019” to provide the IAEA “with full and timely cooperation regarding undeclared nuclear material and activities at multiple undeclared locations constitute non-compliance with its obligations” under its agreement with the UN agency.
In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) announced in a joint statement that the country will build a new uranium enrichment facility “in a secure location”, adding that “other measures … will be announced later”.
In a separate statement posted on X, the AEOI also announced that it will replace the first-generation centrifuges at the Fordow nuclear site with “advanced sixth-generation” centrifuges, signalling that it will continue its nuclear enrichment.
Iran’s Press TV also quoted the foreign ministry as saying that the board resolution “has no technical and legal basis.”
Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Vienna, said that Russia, China and Burkina Faso were among the members of the 35-seat board to vote against the resolution.
Ahelbarra described the passage of the resolution as a “significant diplomatic development”, noting that it was the first time in almost 20 years that the IAEA had accused Iran of breaching its non-proliferation obligations.
“Iran has a very small window to answer the resolution. Otherwise, it will face massive, massive repercussions, including the potential of further isolation and a wide range of sanctions,” he said.
In a statement on X, Israel’s foreign ministry urged the international community to “respond decisively” to the resolution.
The IAEA vote comes as Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced on Thursday that the United States and Iran will hold a sixth round of talks over Tehran’s advancing nuclear programme on Sunday.
Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said that the talks on Sunday in Oman would be “highly influenced” by the IAEA resolution on Thursday.
He also reported that Iran has written a letter to the UN warning that if the IAEA resolution triggers sanctions, then Iran could be prompted to exit from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, further complicating the talks with the US.
Reaching a new nuclear deal is one of the several diplomatic priorities being juggled by US President Donald Trump and his friend and Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
Trump had until recently expressed optimism about the talks, but said in an interview published on Wednesday that he was “less confident” about reaching a deal.
Trump also reiterated that he would not allow Iran to have an atomic bomb amid mounting speculation that Israel could strike Iranian nuclear facilities.
On Thursday, Israeli media reported that Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Mossad intelligence agency head David Barnea will travel to meet Witkoff ahead of the US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman.
On Wednesday, Iran threatened to target US military bases in the region if conflict breaks out.
According to reports, the US has also evacuated non-essential staff from several countries in the Middle East amid the ongoing regional tensions.