By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN atomic watchdog agency IAEA on Thursday voted on a resolution declared that Iran is not complying with its obligations regarding nuclear non-proliferation.
The development follows serious warnings from the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency this week that inspectors have been unable to determine whether Iran’s nuclear programme was “exclusively peaceful” as per the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal from which the United States subsequently withdrew.
IAEA noted that a fresh round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran is set to begin on Saturday in Oman, according to news reports, after heightened geopolitical tensions linked to rumors of an impending Israeli attack on Iran.
IAEA’s board of governors passed the resolution by 19 votes in favor and 3 against and 11 abstentions.
Iran’s atomic energy body reportedly announced plans to open a new uranium enrichment plant and increase production of enriched fissile material.
The draft resolution highlights serious and growing concerns since at least 2019 that Iran had failed to cooperate fully with the UN agency’s inspectors.
Tehran has “repeatedly” been unable to explain and demonstrate that its nuclear material was not being diverted for further enrichment for military use, the draft text maintains.
Iran has failed to provide the UN agency with “technically credible explanations for the presence of [man-made] uranium particles” at undeclared locations in Varamin, Marivan and Turquzabad, it continues.
“Unfortunately, Iran has repeatedly either not answered, or not provided technically credible answers to, the agency’s questions,” IAEA chief Grossi said on Monday.
“It has also sought to sanitize the locations, which has impeded Agency verification activities.”
According to Mr. Grossi, Tehran has stockpiled 400 kilogrammes of highly enriched uranium.
“Given the potential proliferation implications, the agency cannot ignore this” he told the UN agency’s governing board.
