Iran warns of consequences after UN watchdog demands nuclear accountability
On Thursday, the UN nuclear watchdog’s 35-nation Board of Governors adopted a resolution demanding that Iran “without delay” disclose the status of its enriched uranium inventory and bombed nuclear sites, according to diplomats present at the closed-door session.
The resolution aimed to renew and adjust the International Atomic Energy Agency’s mandate regarding reporting on Iran’s nuclear program.
Furthermore, it demanded that Iran promptly grant the IAEA the requested answers and access, a demand made five months after airstrikes were carried out by Israel and the US, according to a Reuters report.
Iran, claiming its nuclear goals are entirely peaceful, had previously cautioned that the resolution submitted by the US and Europe’s three leading powers would “adversely affect” Tehran’s cooperation with the agency if it were to pass.
“Our message is clear: Iran must resolve its safeguards issues without delay. It must provide practical cooperation through access, answers, restoration of monitoring, to enable the agency to do its job and help rebuild confidence,” the US, Britain, France and Germany said in a statement to the board, according to the report.
Diplomats in Vienna reported that the resolution was adopted with 19 votes in favour, three against, and 12 abstentions. Russia, China, and Niger were the nations that opposed the measure.
Accountability
The draft resolution submitted to the board was quoted in the Reuters report:
Iran must…provide the agency without delay with precise information on nuclear material accountancy and safeguarded nuclear facilities in Iran, and grant the agency all access it requires to verify this information.
The IAEA has emphasised the urgent need for Iran to address the “long overdue” accounting of its enriched uranium stock, some of which is near bomb-grade.
This call comes as Iran continues to deny inspectors access to the nuclear sites that were bombed by Israel and the United States in June.
Iran must provide an updated report to the IAEA detailing the situation at the bombed facilities before the agency can inspect the sites or confirm Iran’s uranium inventory.
The destroyed sites include the three enrichment plants Iran was operating at the time of the bombing.
Following Israel’s initial bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites on June 13, the IAEA estimated that Iran possessed 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to a purity of up to 60%.
This level is just below the approximately 90% required for weapons-grade material and is in a state that allows for easy further enrichment.
Iran asserts its right to enrich uranium to any level necessary for its peaceful objectives. According to an IAEA measure, this quantity, if further enriched, would be theoretically sufficient for ten nuclear weapons.
Iran warns of consequences
The high level of enrichment is viewed by Western powers as having no civilian justification and is consequently a “matter of serious concern” for the IAEA.
Iran and allies, including Russia, China, Cuba, and Belarus, made a joint statement to the board:
We are of the firm view that any provocative action – such as the introduction of yet another resolution – would jeopardise and potentially nullify the considerable efforts undertaken by the (IAEA) Director General and Iran to advance dialogue and cooperation.
Although the IAEA and Iran had announced an agreement in Cairo in September, intended to allow for full inspections and verification, Tehran declared the deal void last month.
Soon after, Iran’s only concrete announcement was the formal notification to the IAEA that the Cairo agreement was terminated.
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