Bloomberg quoted Western diplomats as saying that Iran’s expansion of its nuclear program and its imposition of restrictions on international oversight of the program are pushing towards “another serious crisis,” while doubts are growing about Tehran’s claims of the peacefulness of its nuclear endeavors.
On Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board of governors criticized Iran, accusing it of continuing to obstruct the agency’s investigation of traces of uranium taken from three undeclared sites, which could mean increasing its stockpile of enriched fuel to record levels.
The United States and its European allies sponsored a resolution requiring Iran to urgently cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and 26 members of the agency’s 35-member board of governors supported the proposal, according to the report.
The IAEA’s decision indicated that if Iran fails to cooperate, the council is prepared to take further action, including under Article 12-c of the IAEA’s statute, which outlines options for referring Iran to the UN Security Council for non-compliance with its nuclear obligations.
Although the IAEA Council’s decision is not the first it issues against Iran on this issue, the Council issued another resolution in June, but the current wording is stronger and hints at a diplomatic escalation later that might refer Iran to the UN Security Council for non-compliance with its nuclear obligations, according to a report published by the Agency. Reuters.
Reuters quoted diplomats as saying that the United States said in its statement to the IAEA Board of Governors, “Iran must now provide the necessary cooperation, no more empty promises.”
US Ambassador Laura Holgate said, “Iran should know that if it fails to cooperate to resolve these issues, the council will have to take further action,” according to Agence France-Presse.
China and Russia opposed this measure, while five countries abstained from voting, and two countries did not attend to vote, according to what the Kremlin envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency revealed on his Twitter account.
On Thursday, British envoy Corinne Kitsell expressed her concerns in a tweet, saying, “Iran continues its unprecedented nuclear escalation,” which raises doubts about the nature of the Iranian nuclear program.
Tehran responded Thursday that it may cancel a meeting with the International Atomic Energy Agency that was scheduled to take place this month aimed at ending the impasse over explaining the source of the uranium traces. The IAEA responded by saying it hoped the meeting would take place.
Iran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohsen Naziri, said, “The political goals of the authors of this anti-Iranian resolution will not be achieved, but it may affect the constructive relations between Tehran and the agency,” according to Iranian state media.