The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday approved a resolution criticizing Iran’s lack of cooperation with the UN nuclear agency’s investigation into traces of uranium in at least three of its facilities.
The text, proposed by the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, was supported by 26 of the 35 members of the Board. China and Russia have opposed the measure, while at least five countries have abstained, according to Bloomberg.
The U.S. envoy in Vienna, Laura Holgate, explained that «the power to resolve» the crisis «is in Iran’s hands» and urged the country to collaborate with the IAEA, since «there are no shortcuts» of «any kind».
«Iran must know that if it does not provide the necessary cooperation to resolve these issues, the Board will have to be prepared to take further action,» he said, adding that «disregarding» its obligations and «undermining the international regime» by not providing assurances «is not an option.»
In this regard, Holgate has described as «essential and urgent» the measures needed to get the country back on the path of «substantive cooperation» with the UN agency under Article 18 of Iran’s Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement.
«Due to Iran’s lack of cooperation, the director general has repeatedly reported that he is unable to confirm the accuracy or completeness of Iran’s declarations and cannot provide assurances that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful,» he explained, according to a statement from the U.S. mission to the United Nations.
Prior to its approval, the head of Iran’s IAEA, Mohamed Eslami, specified that the accusations against Tehran are «false», while, for his part, the spokesman of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Naser Kanani, affirmed that, if the text is given the «green light», Iran’s response will be «decisive» and «effective».
«The Islamic Republic of Iran has condemned the measure of the United States and three European countries, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, in proposing an anti-Iranian resolution to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency and considers it unacceptable,» Kanani stressed, according to Iranian news agencies.
