Why it matters:
The statement highlights rising tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and signals a potential escalation in Tehran’s stance toward international nuclear oversight bodies.
The big picture:
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors recently adopted a resolution criticizing Iran’s nuclear activities. Tehran views the move as an unjustified political maneuver, saying that consistently cooperated with the agency and has no record of non-compliance in recent reports.
What Iran is saying:
The joint statement criticized the recent resolution passed by the U.S. and three European nations at the IAEA Board of Governors, stating that such an action "seriously undermines the credibility and integrity of the IAEA" and reveals the politicized nature of the agency’s conduct.
It said that a strategy of engagement and cooperation has, paradoxically, led to adverse outcomes for Iran, challenging the premise that dialogue ensures fair treatment.
As a result, the statement declared that "Iran has no choice but to respond to this politically driven resolution."
It went on to express gratitude toward member states that voted against or abstained from the resolution, while firmly condemning the political behavior of those who supported it.
The spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Behrouz Kamalvandi, responding to the IAEA resolution against Iran, stated that Iran’s third uranium enrichment complex will be launched at a secure location and that the production of enriched materials will increase significantly as the first-generation centrifuges at the Fordow facility will be replaced with advanced sixth-generation machines.
Key points:
- The resolution was initiated by the U.S. and three unnamed European nations.
- Iran asserts it has upheld all nuclear safeguards and transparency measures.
- No IAEA report has cited diversion or non-compliance in Iran’s nuclear activity.
- Tehran views the resolution as part of a broader pattern of politicizing technical institutions.
Go deeper:
UN Nuclear Watchdog Adopts Resolution Against Iran Amid Rising Tensions
Ashkan Salehian
