UN nuclear watchdog passes resolution criticizing Iran

By Merve Berker

ANKARA (AA) – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday adopted a resolution criticizing Iran for refusing to provide answers about uranium traces at three undeclared sites. ​​​​​​​

The 35-member IAEA Board of Governors passed the resolution brought by the US, UK, Germany and France with 30 votes in favor, according to Russian Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov.

In a tweet, he said Russia and China voted against the resolution, while India, Libya and Pakistan abstained.

“Countries which represent more than 1/2 of mankind didn’t support the resolution,” he added.

The resolution urges Iran to “act on an urgent basis to fulfill its legal obligations and take up immediately the IAEA director general’s offer of further engagement to clarify and resolve all outstanding safeguards issues,” Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA reported.

This came just hours after Iran announced plans to turn off some IAEA cameras at its nuclear sites, amid rising tensions between Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog.

In a statement earlier in the day, Iran’s nuclear agency accused the IAEA of being “ungrateful for Iran’s extensive cooperation.”

In separate remarks on Wednesday, Iran’s nuclear body chief Mohammad Eslami said Tehran had “no hidden or undocumented nuclear activities or undisclosed sites.”

He accused the IAEA of relying on “fake documents” to “maintain maximum pressure” on Tehran.

Eslami said the move by three European countries and the US to present a draft resolution against Iran was a “political one,” adding that Iran has had “maximum cooperation with the IAEA.”

Talks between Iran and world powers in Vienna to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal have been stalled amid key disagreements between Tehran and Washington.

The US walked out of the deal in May 2018 and reinstated sanctions on Iran. In response, Tehran ramped up its uranium enrichment process from 3.65% stipulated in the deal to 60%.​​​​​​​