UN nuclear agency seeks clarity from Iran on enriched uranium stockpile and damaged atomic sites, passes resolution

In a closed-door meeting in Vienna, the board members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday passed a resolution seeking clarity from Iran on the enriched uranium stockpile and damaged atomic sites.

The resolution, passed by the diplomats on the UN nuclear watchdog's 35-nation Board, urged Iran to comply fully and without delay with its legal obligations" under existing UN Security Council resolutions "and to extend full and prompt cooperation to the IAEA.

"Iran must ... provide the agency without delay with precise information on nuclear material accountancy and safeguarded nuclear facilities in Iran, and grant the agency all access it requires to verify this information," reported Reuters, citing the draft resolution text submitted to the board.

In a statement to the board, US, Britain, France and Germany said that their message is clear — Iran must resolve its safeguards issues without delay.

"It must provide practical cooperation through access, answers, restoration of monitoring, to enable the agency to do its job and help rebuild confidence," reported Reuters.

What is the resolution's purpose?

— To renew and adjust the International Atomic Energy Agency's mandate to report on aspects of Iran's nuclear programme.

— The resolution stated Iran must quickly provide the IAEA with the answers and access it wants.

Who supported the resolution?

According to Reuters, 19 votes were in favour, while three against and 12 abstentions. Russia, China and Niger were the countries that opposed it.

Iran reacts

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the Western-backed resolution adopted by the UN's nuclear watchdog disrupted Tehran's cooperation with the agency.

"With this action and disregard for Iran's interactions and goodwill, these countries have tarnished the IAEA's credibility and independence and are disrupting the process of interactions and cooperation between the agency and Iran," reported AFP quoting Araghchi, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Iran, which says its nuclear aims are entirely peaceful, warned before the US and Europe's top three powers submitted this resolution that if it passed, it would "adversely affect" Tehran's cooperation with the agency.

Iran still has not let inspectors into the nuclear sites Israel and the United States bombed in June, and the IAEA says that accounting for Iran's enriched uranium stock, which includes material close to bomb-grade, is "long overdue" and the issue needs to be addressed “urgently.”