IAEA Board Resolution Calls for Iran’s Full Cooperation

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board demanded on Wednesday that Iran provide complete cooperation with the agency. The board emphasized the need for accurate information on Iran’s near weapons-grade nuclear material and inspector access to its nuclear sites.

A resolution passed by the IAEA states that such information and access are “essential and urgent” to ensure no nuclear material diversion occurs. According to diplomats, 21 countries supported the resolution out of the IAEA’s 35-member board during a closed-door vote in Vienna. Russia, China, and Niger opposed the resolution, while ten countries abstained, and one did not vote due to arrears.

The resolution, proposed by France, the UK, Germany, and the U.S., aims to maintain diplomatic pressure on Iran to comply with its legal obligations. A senior Western diplomat acknowledged this objective, choosing anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

This decision arises amid increasing tensions in the Middle East. The U.S. launched airstrikes against Iran on Wednesday, and Iran retaliated against regional countries. These attacks threaten ongoing peace efforts, with U.S. President Donald Trump warning of repercussions if negotiations stall.

Since Israel and the U.S. targeted Iran’s nuclear sites during a 12-day conflict in June 2025, Iran has denied IAEA inspectors access to the affected areas, despite its legal obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The agency remains unable to verify the status of Iran’s uranium enriched up to 60% purity.

IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi recently warned that Iran’s 440.9-kilogram stockpile of enriched uranium could produce up to ten nuclear bombs if weaponized. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.

Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, criticized the resolution, asserting it ignores Iran’s cooperation and portrays a false normalcy under hostile conditions. He stated that the legal, technical, and operational standards for safeguard implementation had been damaged by continued threats and attacks.

The resolution “deeply regrets” Iran’s “failure to remedy” its noncompliance over the past year. Last June, the IAEA board officially found Iran in noncompliance for the first time in two decades, preceding the U.S. and Israel launching attacks on its nuclear facilities.

Central to the issue is an ongoing IAEA investigation into uranium traces found at undisclosed sites in Iran. Iran has yet to provide “technically credible answers” regarding these traces since 2019. Western officials suspect they might indicate a secret nuclear weapons program dismantled in 2003.

The resolution does not refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council for further sanctions, an action last taken in February 2006. However, it indicates that the IAEA board remains prepared to take further steps, including a formal noncompliance report to the Security Council.

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