VIENNA (AP) — The International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors passed a resolution on Wednesday demanding that Iran fully cooperate with the watchdog, provide complete information about its stockpile of near weapons-grade nuclear material, and grant inspectors access to its nuclear sites. The resolution, approved by 21 of the 35 board members, describes cooperation as "essential and urgent" to verify that no nuclear material has been diverted.
Russia, China, and Niger opposed the measure, while 10 countries abstained and one did not vote due to arrears. The resolution was sponsored by France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.
The move comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, following U.S. airstrikes against Iran early Wednesday and Iranian retaliatory strikes.
The escalating violence threatens to derail peace efforts, with U.S. President Donald Trump warning that Iran would "pay the price" for stalled negotiations.
Since the June 2025 war, when Israel and the United States struck Iranian nuclear sites, Tehran has denied IAEA inspectors access to affected facilities, despite its legal obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
The IAEA has been unable to verify the status of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile since the bombing. According to the agency, Iran holds 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity—just a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi warned that this stockpile could enable Iran to build up to 10 nuclear bombs if it chose to weaponize its program, though he emphasized that does not mean Iran possesses such a weapon. Iran maintains its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.
Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, denounced the resolution, arguing that it portrays the situation as "quite normal" despite the attacks. He stated that the security environment created by the aggressors has destroyed the legal and operational foundations for implementing safeguards in Iran.
Najafi claimed Iran has granted access to all unaffected facilities and accused the resolution of ignoring Tehran's cooperation even under war conditions.
The resolution also expresses deep regret over Iran's failure to remedy noncompliance with its nonproliferation obligations over the past year. The IAEA board found Iran officially in noncompliance last June, just before the U.S.
and Israeli attacks. Central to the issue is a long-running investigation into uranium traces found at undeclared sites in Iran, which Tehran has failed to credibly explain since 2019.
Western officials suspect these traces could indicate a secret nuclear weapons program that ended in 2003.
While Wednesday's resolution stops short of referring Iran to the U.N. Security Council for further sanctions, it leaves that option open, stating the board is ready to take further action, including addressing the timing and content of a formal noncompliance report for Security Council consideration.