IAEA Board Reports Iran to UN Security Council for First Time in 20 Years

Key facts

• The IAEA board of governors voted to report Iran to the UN Security Council.
• This is the first such referral in 20 years.
• The decision follows Iran's failure to provide satisfactory explanations for uranium particles found at three undeclared sites.
• IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi cited Iran's lack of cooperation as hindering verification of its nuclear program.
• Iran's deputy foreign minister stated the resolution was politically motivated and would achieve nothing.

The board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has voted to report Iran to the UN Security Council, marking the first such referral in two decades. The decision stems from Iran's continued failure to provide satisfactory explanations regarding the discovery of uranium particles at three undeclared sites.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated that Iran's lack of cooperation has significantly hampered the agency's efforts to verify the nature of its nuclear program. The resolution, put forward by the US, UK, France, and Germany, passed with a majority vote, though Russia and China opposed it.

Iran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, condemned the resolution, calling it politically motivated and baseless, and stating it would not achieve any results. He suggested that disruptions from attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities were used as a pretext for the referral.