United States Statement on the Nuclear Activities of the Islamic Republic: No Valid Justification for Accumulating 'Highly Enriched Uranium'

On Thursday, June 7, the United States reiterated a statement read on Tuesday, June 5, regarding the verification and monitoring of the nuclear activities of the Islamic Republic at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), emphasizing that there is no justification for the accumulation of highly enriched uranium in Iran. The U.S. noted that the Islamic Republic's decision over the past three years to halt its nuclear commitments related to the JCPOA and subsequently remove visual and monitoring equipment associated with the JCPOA has undermined the IAEA's efforts. In the statement presented by Laura Holgate, the U.S. representative to the IAEA, it was mentioned that the Islamic Republic's obstruction of the IAEA's continued knowledge about the production and inventory of Iran's centrifuges and their related components is concerning. "While Iran's enriched uranium stockpile continues to grow up to 60 percent, we must clearly state that there is no credible civilian justification for Iran's accumulation of highly enriched uranium, and these actions are inconsistent with the behavior of other non-nuclear weapon states party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons," Holgate stated. She also rejected claims by Islamic Republic officials that Washington was preventing Tehran from returning to its JCPOA commitments, stating that executable agreements were on the table in 2022, which Tehran responded to with unacceptable demands. The U.S. representative to the IAEA emphasized that the Islamic Republic's nuclear program poses a serious challenge to international security. The Board of Governors, consisting of thirty-five member countries, approved a resolution against the Islamic Republic on Wednesday, urging Iran to take steps to cooperate with the IAEA more swiftly and to revoke its recent decision to bar experienced inspectors from entering the country. France, Germany, and the UK welcomed the resolution in a joint statement, expressing hope that the Islamic Republic would "use this opportunity to resolve important issues so that further action by the Board would not be necessary."