The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which serves as the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, passed a resolution on Thursday urging Iran to fully cooperate and provide “accurate information” regarding its enriched uranium stockpile.
In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry swiftly dismissed the resolution, labeling it “anti-Iranian” and hinted at possible retaliation.
A total of 35 members from the IAEA Board of Directors voted in favor of the resolution, which requires Iran to promptly inform authorities about its uranium stockpile and the status of its enrichment facilities located in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, the last of which was targeted by U.S. airstrikes in June.
The resolution emphasizes that Iran should “provide accurate information” about its nuclear material and grant necessary access for verification of this information.
“Our message is straightforward: Iran needs to resolve its safeguards issue immediately. It must engage in practical cooperation by restoring access, providing answers, and allowing oversight to rebuild confidence,” stated the United States, Britain, France, and Germany in a joint message to the IAEA board.
The resolution passed with 19 votes in favor, while 3 members opposed it and 12 abstained. Notably, Russia, China, and Niger—an important uranium exporter—voted against the resolution.
Since June, Iran has denied IAEA inspectors access to its uranium facilities following airstrikes from the United States and Israel, pushing back against what they describe as a condemnation of Iran’s non-proliferation commitments.
Iran had previously rejected a June IAEA resolution as “political and biased” and has now also opposed this latest resolution, seeing it as a similar affront.
Prior to the IAEA’s latest vote, Iran, alongside Russia and China, issued a statement claiming a new resolution would be “provocative” and could undermine the significant dialogue and cooperation efforts that had been made.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi has continued to advocate for dialogue with Iran, despite expressing some frustration regarding Iran’s lack of transparency. He emphasized that a diplomatic resolution remains the only viable option, dependent on Iran’s full compliance.
Grossi has shown disappointment over Iran’s refusal to allow inspections at certain nuclear sites but remains hopeful about eventually accessing Iran’s enriched uranium. In September, Grossi and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signed a technical agreement meant to facilitate the resumption of inspections, though details of the agreement remain scarce.
Following the signing of the agreement, the United Nations Security Council imposed “snapback” sanctions against Iran for noncompliance with its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran has expressed outrage over these sanctions, and Russia has indicated it will disregard them. While Grossi has remained optimistic, there has been little indication of increased cooperation from Iran with UN inspectors since September.
Iran’s Ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, stated that the resolution had “consequences,” adding that Tehran would reveal its response later.
Later on Thursday, Iran formally announced its withdrawal from the agreement it had signed in September regarding the restart of nuclear inspections.
“This understanding is no longer valid and should be deemed terminated,” Araghchi conveyed to the IAEA.
“Given that the E3 and the U.S. are seeking escalation, they know that the formal abandonment of the Cairo agreement results from their provocations,” the foreign minister stated on social media. The E3 refers to the European countries—United Kingdom, France, and Germany—part of the 2015 nuclear deal.
