Iran has criticised a decision by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors that referred to as on Tehran to strengthen cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog.
The IAEA’s 35-member board of governors on June 5 adopted the condemnation decision, launched by the three Western European international locations, often called the E3, Britain, France and Germany, which have been events to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, by a vote of 20 to 2, with 12 abstentions.
In a press release, Iran’s Foreign Ministry referred to as the decision a “political and anti-constructive” transfer and stated it “strongly condemns” it.
He added that Tehran would “proceed its technical cooperation” with the monitoring company beneath the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and its safeguards settlement with the IAEA.
Ahead of the vote, Iran had warned it will reply to the condemnation decision.
After the decision was handed, Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), stated the Iranian authorities had “began taking steps” in response to the vote, however didn’t present particulars.
“From previous expertise, [the West] “We strongly hope that Iran is not going to abandon its inalienable rights within the face of political strain,” he stated.
Noor News, an Iranian media outlet affiliated with Ali Shamkhani, a senior political adviser to Iran’s supreme chief, warned on June 6 that pressuring Tehran would solely encourage it to develop its nuclear program.
Meanwhile, Kayhan newspaper, whose editor-in-chief is appointed by the supreme chief, referred to as on June 6 for all IAEA inspectors to be expelled from Iran. The newspaper additionally argued that the decision was meant to affect Iran’s upcoming presidential elections by forcing voters to decide on a authorities keen to barter with the West.
While the decision handed, it didn’t obtain as many votes in favor because the earlier two resolutions: the June 2022 decision handed by 30-2, and the November 2022 decision handed by 26-2.
Iran responded to the June 2022 decision by eradicating IAEA cameras and monitoring tools from a number of of its nuclear services. Following the November 2022 censure, Tehran started enriching uranium to 60 % purity at a second facility, the Fordo plant.
In September 2023, regardless of the absence of a decision towards Iran, Iran took steps to bar a number of skilled UN inspectors from monitoring Iranian tools.
The new decision calls on Iran to reinstate veteran inspectors.
Iran claims to be cooperative with the IAEA, however IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi claims that Tehran has failed to supply a “technically credible” clarification for the traces of uranium discovered at two previous, undeclared websites.
Damon Golriz, a lecturer on the University of Applied Sciences at The Hague, advised RFE/RL’s Radio Farda that the decision may very well be a step in the direction of a “political choice” by European international locations to induce the “speedy withdrawal” of sanctions towards Iran by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
The “snapback” mechanism is printed in UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which established the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. But the choice to reimpose sanctions expires in October 2025.
“The activation of the ‘snapback’ mechanism would take us again to the scenario 15 years in the past, when six UN resolutions obliged the world to exert strain on Iran,” Golriz stated.
Written by Kian Sharifi with reporting from RFE/RL’s Radio Farda and the Associated Press
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