The U.S. Warns Iran About Continued 'Obstruction' in Cooperation with the Agency

On Thursday, the United States warned the Iranian government that continued 'obstruction' regarding cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would pave the way for further actions by the Board of Governors, including the possibility of issuing more resolutions against the Islamic Republic. The U.S. called on the Islamic Republic to cooperate with IAEA inspectors who have long sought explanations from Iran regarding the origin of uranium particles found at some undeclared sites. In a statement for the Thursday Board of Governors meeting, the U.S. said, 'We believe we have reached a point where we and the international community must reevaluate how to respond to Iran's ongoing obstruction.' The statement emphasized, 'We cannot allow the current behavior pattern of the Islamic Republic to continue.' During the Thursday meeting, the U.S., the UK, France, and Germany chose not to pursue a new resolution against the Iranian government, similar to their decision three months prior. However, the U.S. threatened that if the Islamic Republic continues to refuse cooperation, further actions would be taken against the government. According to the U.S. statement to the Board of Governors, 'the continued lack of credible cooperation from the Islamic Republic provides grounds for further actions by the Board, including the possibility of issuing more resolutions and examining whether Iran is once again not complying with its safeguards obligations.' The U.S. stated that the Islamic Republic must 'immediately' allow for the collection of environmental samples by IAEA inspectors, or else it would request Rafael Grossi, the IAEA Director General, to prepare a 'comprehensive report' on Iran's nuclear activities beyond his regular quarterly reports, and based on that report, 'appropriate actions in support of the Agency and the nuclear non-proliferation regime' would be taken. Meanwhile, the three European countries—France, Germany, and the UK—issued a joint statement on Wednesday expressing concern over the expansion of the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities and calling for Tehran to return to its JCPOA commitments and halt uranium enrichment beyond the permitted levels. The three countries emphasized in their statement, referring to the recent report by the IAEA Director General, that the Islamic Republic is increasingly violating its commitments under the JCPOA, currently holding 27 times the allowed limit of enriched uranium and continuing to enrich uranium to 60%. Nevertheless, the three European countries reiterated their commitment to a diplomatic path in resolving the Iranian nuclear issue and urged Iranian officials to take serious and meaningful steps to de-escalate tensions and rebuild trust. Germany, France, and the UK also warned the leaders of the Islamic Republic that if they do not adhere to their commitments, they will use existing tools to prevent the development of nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, the IAEA Director General emphasized in his report to the Board of Governors that the Islamic Republic is not fully cooperating with the Agency and is not providing necessary information about its nuclear program. Rafael Grossi warned that Tehran's lack of transparency makes it difficult to verify the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program. It has been over a year since the last resolution by the Board of Governors against the Islamic Republic was issued. That resolution faced opposition only from China and Russia and called for the Iranian government to immediately cooperate with inspectors regarding the origin of uranium particles at undeclared sites. In response to that resolution, the Islamic Republic rejected cooperation with the Agency, claiming that the resolution was 'political' and 'anti-Iranian.' The U.S. stated that the Islamic Republic must 'dilute' all of its 60% enriched uranium stockpile. A group of Republican senators urged the Biden administration to condemn the Islamic Republic at the Agency meeting. Grossi noted that Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles continue to increase. The Iranian satellite 'Pars 1' was launched into space from Russia. The IAEA report indicated that the Islamic Republic has 'for the first time' reduced its 60% enriched uranium stockpiles. Grossi criticized the 'worrisome rhetoric' of the Iranian government and the continued high-level enrichment. The Director General warned that the Islamic Republic is 'not fully transparent' regarding its nuclear program. Efforts to normalize nuclear bomb production; Ali Akbar Salehi stated: 'We have all the thresholds of nuclear science and technology.' The head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization criticized the IAEA, stating that they do not cooperate with us. A U.S. State Department spokesperson stated: 'We are aware of the Director General's comments regarding the slowdown in uranium enrichment in Iran.' The Institute for Science and International Security stated that the Iranian government could build a nuclear bomb in a week.