The Board of Governors Approves Proposed Resolution Against Iran's Nuclear Program

The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved on Wednesday a proposed resolution by the three countries of Britain, France, and Germany against Iran's nuclear program, an event that Tehran had previously warned about. With the approval of the resolution proposed by the European powers, the agency called on Iran to respond to inspectors' questions regarding suspicious aspects of its nuclear program and to reconsider its decision to prevent experienced agency inspectors from operating. According to diplomatic sources, 20 member countries of the IAEA Board of Governors voted in favor of this resolution. Additionally, two countries, China and Russia, opposed it, while 12 countries abstained from voting. This resolution follows a resolution passed 18 months ago that instructed Iran to immediately answer inspectors' questions about the origin of uranium particles discovered at its undeclared sites. Although the number of these sites has decreased from three to two, the IAEA states that Iran has not yet provided satisfactory explanations regarding the origin of these uranium particles. Britain, France, and Germany, in a statement to the Board of Governors regarding their proposed resolution, said that the agency should have held Iran accountable for its legal obligations long ago. The statement then emphasizes that 'Iran must immediately, fully, and unambiguously cooperate with the agency.' Since the previous resolution was passed, the list of issues the IAEA has faced in Iran has increased, and the new resolution asks Iran to address these multiple problems. What consequences will the new Board of Governors resolution against Iran have? Tehran prevented many senior IAEA experts from participating in inspection groups last summer, an action that Rafael Grossi, the agency's director-general, described as 'disproportionate and unprecedented' and a 'serious blow' to the agency in carrying out its mission. The approved resolution by the Board of Governors deems the presence of these uranium enrichment experts in inspections of Iran's nuclear activities as 'vital' and has asked Iran to lift this prohibition. Hours before this event, Iran, along with seven allied countries, issued a joint statement calling the approval of the proposed resolution by the three European powers against Tehran's nuclear program a 'miscalculation' and emphasized that this action would have 'reverse consequences.' Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, also stated on Tuesday that if Western powers cause the resolution to be passed or exert political pressure, the Islamic Republic will certainly react. Mr. Eslami had previously stated that Iran's reduction of commitments under the JCPOA is 'natural,' as it is in response to the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and the passage of the 'Strategic Action Plan to Lift Sanctions' law in December 2020 by the Islamic Consultative Assembly, which is the benchmark for Tehran, and we are 'currently in the phase of reducing commitments.' The 'Strategic Action Plan to Lift Sanctions' was passed by the parliament and approved by the Guardian Council in December 2020. This law obligated Hassan Rouhani's government, amid nuclear negotiations with the West, to begin uranium enrichment to 20% purity and suspend the implementation of the Additional Protocol. The IAEA, in its latest quarterly report, announced that Iran has increased its uranium enrichment level to 60% to a degree that, if it continues enriching to 90%, it will have the capability to produce three nuclear bombs. Western powers state that such a level of enrichment has no civilian justification, and the IAEA has also stated that no other country enriches uranium to this level without the motivation to build nuclear weapons. Iran and its allies warned about the approval of the resolution in the Board of Governors. Two members of the U.S. Congress urged the Biden administration to hold Iran accountable at the agency meeting. The severe government crackdown and the danger of 'going underground' for protests. What doctors and eyewitnesses recount about the injured in the protests. The revelation of the limitations of relations between China and Iran amid the protests. An official stated that 400 people were killed in Mashhad; a reporter from Ham-Mihan stated that Tehran smells of death. Three eyewitness accounts of the massacre and the situation in several cities in Isfahan province; 'like war-torn areas.' The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iran crisis. Trump announced an agreement to hold a meeting about Greenland in Davos. Weather conditions halted the search for an Iranian mountaineer on Makalu peak.