On June 11, the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution backed by the United States, demanding that Iran provide "full information" about its enriched uranium stockpile and allow inspectors access to verify it. The move comes amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran following the downing of an Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz.
The resolution, submitted by the United States, Britain, France, and Germany to the 35-member board, received 21 votes in favor, 3 against (Russia, China, and Niger), 10 abstentions, and one non-vote, according to diplomats present at the closed session.
The IAEA estimates Iran possessed 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent—close to weapons grade—before Israel and the United States launched initial strikes on the country in June of last year. Iran’s three main nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan were hit. Afterward, Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA, and inspectors have been unable to access the material since.
The resolution states that the IAEA cannot yet verify whether the uranium has been diverted and demands that Iran "provide the Agency with full information on the inventory of nuclear material" and grant the necessary access for verification "without delay."
Iran's ambassador to the UN in Vienna, Reza Najafi, rejected the resolution, calling it "counterproductive," "politically motivated," and "legally wrong." He warned that the resolution could affect already tense talks with the United States aimed at ending the war entirely. "It further complicates the precarious situation, the fragile ceasefire, and the unfinished negotiations between Iran and the United States," he told AFP, emphasizing that Tehran had cautioned about the consequences of this wrong move.
Earlier, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi described the resolution as an attempt to blame Tehran for U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites. "This is a reversal of responsibility," Gharibabadi wrote on social media platform X. "They target facilities under the framework of safeguards, disrupt nuclear safety and verification capacity, then use the Board of Governors to pressure Iran into taking responsibility." He warned that the Board should not become a venue for legitimizing military aggression.
The United States and Iran are currently engaged in negotiations to extend a ceasefire and pave the way for broader talks on issues including Iran's nuclear program. Western nations have long accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.
