Statement from 63 Countries at the Board of Governors: The Islamic Republic Must Answer the Agency's Questions

The United States, along with 62 other countries including EU members and neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Turkey, and Yemen, supported the request of Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for serious cooperation from the Islamic Republic to resolve outstanding nuclear issues with the agency. They stated that the Director General emphasized that for the agency to assure the peaceful nature of nuclear activities in Iran, unresolved nuclear issues with the Islamic Republic must be addressed under Iran's commitments in the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. In a part of the joint statement presented by the Danish ambassador on Wednesday, it was noted that over the past ten months, the Islamic Republic of Iran has not provided a credible technical explanation regarding uranium particles found by the agency at previously unreported locations. Rafael Grossi also stated on Monday that the Islamic Republic must explain the uranium particles found at the Varamin and Torqozabad sites. These countries stressed that the Islamic Republic must immediately clarify this issue and provide a satisfactory explanation for the IAEA. The statement requested Iran to inform the agency of the current location or locations where the manipulated nuclear particles are, or the equipment contaminated with those particles, and to provide all necessary information, documents, and responses to the agency in this regard, allowing inspectors and experts access to the locations and materials needed by the agency, and if the agency needs to take samples to resolve this issue, to facilitate that as well. These countries stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran must fulfill its legal obligations. They called for the 'immediate' implementation of Iran's commitments to cooperate with the agency in three areas: discovered nuclear materials at previously unreported locations, clarification of discrepancies in the amount of nuclear materials confirmed by the agency at the Isfahan uranium conversion facility (originating from the Jaber Ibn Hayyan laboratory) compared to what the Islamic Republic reported, and regarding Iran's legal obligation to promptly inform the agency about the design and changes of new nuclear facilities. Abram Paley, the U.S. Deputy Envoy for Iran, also stated on Wednesday in a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), 'Today, the United States stands alongside 62 other countries to express our strong support for the International Atomic Energy Agency and its Director General (Rafael) Grossi. Iran must fully cooperate with the agency.' The Islamic Republic claims it is not seeking to build nuclear weapons. However, Western countries assert that the Islamic Republic has not proven the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. Iranian media reported the 'opening' of accounts for six Iranian banks in Qatar; the Central Bank's entry into currency market management 'from next week.'