Iran Exhibits Low-Key Reaction to UN Nuclear Censure

The resolution, tabled by France, Britain, and Germany, received significant support, with 20 member states voting in favor. The two countries who voted against the resolution were Iran's allies, China and Russia. The decision saw 12 countries abstaining from the vote.

Prior to this, Iran vowed to retaliate to any move of condemnation by the IAEA board. The last time Tehran was censured over its nuclear activities was in November 2022.

While the censure may not have immediate implications for Iran, it could be a prelude to what many advocates have called for: referring Iran to the UN Security Council.

Starting in 2006, the UN Security Council imposed several rounds of sanctions targeting Iran's nuclear program. Many of the economic sanctions imposed on Iran were suspended in 2015 as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. The US announced its withdrawal from JCPOA in 2018, and reimposed nuclear-related sanctions on Iran.

Earlier today, the US confirmed its backing of the European powers' initiative to censure Iran pointing to Tehran's lack of cooperation with the IAEA.

The US emphasized, however, that the move should be part of a broader, comprehensive strategy to address the issues surrounding Iran's nuclear program.

"Make no mistake, it is important that resolutions be tied to a broader strategy. This resolution should be a first step in a strategy aimed at achieving a sustainable, effective solution to Iran’s nuclear program that includes full cooperation with the IAEA," US Ambassador Laura S.H. Holgate said in a statement.

Earlier this week, the E3 (UK, France, and Germany) had submitted a draft resolution to the IAEA Board of Governors.

Ahead of the latest US statement, China, Iran, and Russia reaffirmed their support for the JCPOA, although Iran has officially declared that it is no longer abiding by the agreements provisions.

The countries lambasted Western countries for failing to restore the agreement – often dubbed the Iran nuclear deal – insisting on its validity and condemning European nations for maintaining unilateral restrictions.

Referring to the “illegal” US withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 and its subsequent maximum pressure policy on Iran, China, Iran and Russia said their support for the nuclear deal has remained unchanged.

“It is time for Western countries to demonstrate political will, restrain themselves from the endless wheel of escalation that they have been spinning for the past almost two years and take the necessary step towards the revival of the JCPOA,” the statement by the allied countries read.

The E3’s own statement on Tuesday, meanwhile, criticized Iran for its actions in advancing its nuclear program and escalating tensions in this area, warning that Iran's nuclear program had reached "worrying levels."

The European statement emphasized that recent remarks by Iranian officials about the capability to produce nuclear weapons and the potential change in Iran's nuclear doctrine have further eroded trust between Tehran and the international community.

Yet, the E3 emphasized the need for transparency and cooperation between Iran and the IAEA, urging Iran to cease threats to produce nuclear weapons and adhere to JCPOA commitments, particularly regarding uranium enrichment.

The latest confidential IAEA report, reviewed by Iran International, reveals that Tehran has increased its enriched uranium stockpile to over 142 kilograms at 60% enrichment, a 20-kilogram rise since the last report in February.

In late April, the agency’s Director General, Rafael Grossi, said that Iran could obtain sufficient enriched uranium for a nuclear bomb within weeks. Experts say that for Iran to develop a bomb delivered by a missile, it could take up to a year.

Grossi, who has criticized the lack of transparency in Tehran's nuclear program, recently traveled to the country, hoping to pursue what many say is in vain: transparency and assurances that Tehran’s nuclear program is peaceful.

While there have been sporadic indirect talks between Iran and the US, efforts to revive the nuclear deal have largely stalled. Tehran has consistently demanded the lifting of US sanctions as a precondition for any agreement.

Ali Bagheri Kani said, "The non-constructive approach of some member countries in using the agency's capacity for their political goals will undoubtedly harm the identity and role-playing of the agency," after the E3 nations, comprising Britain, France, and Germany, jointly submitted a resolution to the United Nations nuclear watchdog’s Board of Governors on Monday. 

The resolution highlighted Iran's non-cooperation with the agency, expressing concerns over its pursuit of nuclear weapons amid rapid enrichment. The group also demands answers to undeclared sites.

A recent confidential report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), highlights Iran's ongoing enrichment of uranium to levels nearing those required for weapons-grade material. Uranium enriched to 60 percent, as indicated in the report, brings Iran's enrichment capabilities dangerously close to the 90 percent threshold necessary for the production of atomic weapons.

Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA, said Iran is "weeks not months" away from a nuclear weapon. Iran has consistently refuted the allegations, asserting that its nuclear activities are solely intended for peaceful purposes.

Last week, the IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, said the watchdog had lost track of Iran’s production and inventory of centrifuges and related components, as Tehran has limited access to the inspectors.

On Tuesday, the US delivered a strongly-worded statement to the IAEA, effectively opening the door to a censuring resolution at the upcoming quarterly IAEA Board of Governors meeting. 

“Iran refused a deal when it was possible, continued with activities that negated the chance for that deal,” US ambassador to the IAEA Laura S.H. Holgate said Tuesday. “The idea that the remaining issues could be resolved within a few days, when Iran’s nuclear program has, and continues to, significantly expand... and when Iran’s cooperation with the Agency has reached new lows, is absurd.”

This was perhaps the clearest indication to date that the Biden administration may have lost patience with the “tired and transparent gambit” of the Iranian rulers. And a few hours later, came another indication –this time from the State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller.

“Should there be a resolution,” he told reporters who asked about the US position, “you should not expect us to act in any sort of disharmony with our E3 partners. We prize our unity with them, and I expect that to continue.”

In the past few weeks, unofficial reports have pointed to a US-E3 disagreement, with the Biden administration trying to dissuade France, Germany, and the UK from censuring Iran at the IAEA’s board meeting, fearing, perhaps, that it could lead to more hostility and further complicate the relationship with those in power in Tehran, as well as the situation in the broader Middle East.

The statements on Tuesday, however, put to rest the notion of a US-E3 disagreement, suggesting instead that a censuring resolution may be imminent.

Earlier Tuesday, the E3 said in a joint statement that Iran has chosen to escalate and to expand its nuclear program to alarming levels, calling on the Islamic Republic to halt its escalation. “Much of Iran’s nuclear program is unprecedented for a state without a nuclear weapons program," they warned.

This was echoed by the US ambassador shortly after, referring to Iran’s growing stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium. “There is no credible, civilian justification for Iran to amass a stock of highly enriched uranium and these actions run counter to the behavior of all other non-nuclear weapons states party to the NPT,” said Ambassador Holgate.

“Twice in 2022 viable deals were put on the table after great political effort,” she added. “On both occasions, Iran responded to these deals with unacceptable demands beyond the scope of the JCPOA.”

Iran limited its cooperation with the IAEA and expanded its enrichment program after President Trump unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal. President Biden set it as a priority ‘from day one’ to revive that deal or craft a new agreement. The plan was to dull the nuclear ambitions of the Islamic Republic, but it only sharpened the criticism of the Biden administration –from the Republicans in the Congress, in particular.

“Iran is closer than ever to having nuclear weapons,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) posted on X Tuesday, “that's why @SenatorTimScott and I have introduced a resolution calling on the Biden Administration to censure Iran at this week's IAEA meeting.”

Iran Rejects Latest IAEA Report, Branding It 'Unreliable'

Iran, meanwhile, has dismissed a recent IAEA report regarding its nuclear activities as "unreliable."

In that report to the IAEA Board of Governors, Director General Grossi stated that there has been no progress in resolving the safeguards issues with Iran.

In a statement it labeled the latest report as "based on unreliable information and unauthentic documents," dismissing allegations of an undeclared site in Turquzabad as a mere "industrial scraps storage."

The tension over undisclosed locations began with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2018.

Netanyahu pointed to the location in Turquzabad, southwest of Tehran, saying that Iran has a secret warehouse for nuclear materials and equipment in this area, holding up to 300 tons of nuclear equipment and material. Iranian officials dismissed Netanyahu's claims, stating that the location mentioned is just a simple “rug cleaning” business.

The Iranian officials refuted any involvement in nuclear activities at the site, despite previous reports of nuclear materials being moved with containers from the location.

Grossi claimed in his recent report to the Board of Governors that no progress has been made in resolving non-compliance issues with Iran and criticized Iran for failing to provide “technically credible explanations for the presence of uranium particles of anthropogenic origin” in Turquzabad and a second site in Varamin.

The IAEA's repeated requests for explanations about the presence of uranium particles at the two sites have gone unanswered for years.

Mohammad Eslami maintained Tehran is still following the NPT Safeguards Agreement and is only reducing the obligations it had under the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The comments come as Britain, France, and Germany submitted a resolution to the United Nations nuclear watchdog’s Board of Governors Monday censuring Iran. According to AFP, European diplomats cited Iran's lack of cooperation with the agency, believing Iran is developing nuclear weapons.

Before the resolution, Iranian officials cautioned European powers against applying pressure on Iran concerning its nuclear program. Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the reported head of Iran's nuclear negotiations, asserted on Saturday that if European countries proceed with a resolution criticizing Iran's nuclear activities, Iran would respond in a "serious and effective manner."

The E3 maintains that Iran has signed and ratified the NPT Safeguards Agreement but has not adhered to its legally binding obligations.

IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi acknowledged on Monday that the agency has lost continuity of knowledge regarding the production of centrifuges, rotors and bellows, heavy water, and uranium as Iran continues to expand its nuclear program.

In response to a question by Iran International’s Ahmad Samadi about the censure resolution by the European countries, Grossi stated that the member countries must express their opinions on the matter and that the Agency is only required to comply with the resolution if it is approved.

In 2018, then-US President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), arguing that the agreement did not sufficiently prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Consequently, sanctions reliefs were revoked.

In 2020, the Iranian parliament suspended UN inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities and mandated the government to increase uranium enrichment if European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal did not lift oil and banking sanctions.

Despite Iran's lack of cooperation with the IAEA on multiple issues since 2020, friction points between Tehran and the agency have recently accumulated.

The Iranian government has deactivated surveillance devices, denied senior inspectors access, and refused to disclose the location of new nuclear facilities, despite insisting that its uranium enrichment is solely for civilian purposes and that it does not intend to develop nuclear weapons.

According to an IAEA benchmark, Iran is enriching uranium to 60% purity, close to the 90% required for weapons-grade material. It has accumulated enough material to be further enriched to produce three nuclear bombs.

E3 diplomats reportedly cited Iran’s lack of cooperation with the agency, fearing Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon. The Islamic Republic has repeatedly denied that claim, insisting its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

A diplomatic source told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the censure has been formally tabled, claiming an “urgency” to react to the situation.

The draft resolution seen by AFP reportedly demands Iran readmit IAEA inspectors and restore camera surveillance at nuclear sites.

The E3’s plan to censure Iran is a "bold move and a remarkable turn of events," according to Andrea Stricker, the Deputy Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)’s Nonproliferation and Biodefense program.

“The E3 moving ahead on its own by itself is fascinating,” said Stricker.

“Typically, they [E3] won’t pursue censure unless Washington goes along with it. We don't know yet if Washington is going to vote for the censure or abstain,” she added.

Jason Brodsky, the policy director of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), believes the Europeans are frustrated with the US policy on Iran.

"I think they sense that US policy is adrift. That we have no strategy as it relates to the Islamic Republic, particularly with respect to its nuclear program, and that the status quo of inaction amid a series of Iranian escalatory behaviors," Brodsky told Iran International.

The development comes amid heightened tensions over Iran's nuclear capabilities.

A recent confidential International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report, reviewed by Iran International and other media outlets, warned Iran is continuing to enrich uranium to near weapons-grade levels.

According to the report, Iran’s estimated stockpile of enriched uranium had reached more than 30 times the limit set out in the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and the world powers.

Uranium enriched to 60 percent is close to the levels of 90 percent needed for atomic weapons.

A recent report from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) alleged the US was pressuring its European allies not to confront Iran on its nuclear program. The report stated that the US and Europe were at odds on how to deal with Iran.

But US officials said that Washington was tightly coordinating with its E3 allies to contain Iran.

In a previous interview with Iran International, Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the FDD, said the fact that there has not been a resolution of censure for more than a year demonstrates the US is not on the same page with its E3 allies when it comes to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

At the time, US officials said no decision had been taken with respect to the Board of Governors meeting.

Stricker told Iran International the move by Britain, France and Germany to censure Iran suggests the nations' approach to Iran drastically differs from that of the Biden administration.

“The E3 is realizing that the Biden administration's approach and previously the European approach to Iran, which is to de-escalate tensions, to try to use diplomacy to get them to restrain their nuclear advances, is not yielding any sort of benefits,” she said.

The IAEA said Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to such levels.

On Monday, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the agency “has lost continuity of knowledge in relation to the production centrifuges, rotors and bellows, heavy water, and uranium.”

"Public statements made in Iran regarding its technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons and possible changes to Iran’s nuclear doctrine only increase my concerns about the correctness and completeness of Iran’s safeguards declarations,” said Grossi during a session with the IAEA Board of Governors.

On Saturday, Ali Shamkhani, a political advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, warned on X that if “some misguided European countries... adopt a hostile stance towards Iran... at the board, they will face a serious and effective response from our country."

Brodsky believes Iran will respond to the censure resolution.

"I think what the US and its E3 allies do in response to that escalation is going to be equally as important as the resolution. Let's not forget that what I think has been deeply harmful in this entire debate over the censure resolution as it became public that the United States was hesitant or opposed to a censure resolution. I think that Ayatollah Khamenei is a keen judge of the US will."

Russia’s ambassador to the international organizations in Vienna also posted to X this weekend, claiming that a “anti-Iranian resolution” could pose the risk of "seriously deteriorating the situation”.

Negotiations on Iran's nuclear program are on hold after the death of Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month near the border with Azerbaijan.

In a presser Monday in Beirut, Iran's acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani said exchanges of messages and consultations are still underway with the United States.

The Associated Press reported last month that Bagheri held indirect talks in Oman with Brett McGurk, an adviser to Biden, through Omani officials over heightened tensions in the region.