US and Europe Warn: If Iran Does Not Resolve 'Remaining Issues', Another Resolution Will Be Issued

The United States and three of its European allies issued a joint statement warning the Islamic Republic that if it does not resolve 'all major remaining issues', another resolution may be issued against it in the IAEA Board of Governors. The US, UK, France, and Germany emphasized that the Islamic Republic cannot continue to neglect its legal obligations under the safeguards agreement and called on Iran to 'act without delay to clarify and resolve all major remaining issues.' This statement, presented to the IAEA Board of Governors on Wednesday and published on Thursday, September 14, referenced a report by Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the IAEA, and a resolution from last November, stating that Iran should not 'deliberately refrain from serious cooperation with the Agency' but must fulfill its obligations regarding major safeguards issues and the Agency's monitoring and verification activities. A resolution from the Board of Governors last November mandated Iran to cooperate immediately with the Agency's investigations concerning uranium particles found at its undeclared nuclear facilities. The statement from the four Western allies noted the Islamic Republic's refusal to address the issue of uranium particles found in Torqozabad and Varamin, stating that Iran must provide 'technically credible information' about the current location of these particles and the equipment contaminated with them. Washington, London, Paris, and Berlin warned that if the Islamic Republic does not fully implement the necessary and urgent measures outlined in the November 2022 resolution and the 'joint statement' from March of last year, the Board of Governors should be prepared for further actions to support the Agency's secretariat in holding Iran accountable, including the 'possibility of a resolution.' They pointed out that there has been no progress in implementing the 'joint statement' despite the Agency's request for the installation of additional cameras and access to information stored in previous cameras, and called on the Islamic Republic to install all necessary cameras as per the Agency's requirements and to provide all previously stored information to the Agency. The US, UK, France, and Germany also supported a statement from 63 countries in the Board of Governors regarding the need for the Islamic Republic to respond to the Agency's questions. These countries backed Rafael Grossi's call for serious cooperation from the Islamic Republic to resolve the remaining nuclear issues with the Agency. Meanwhile, the US representative in the Board of Governors on Tuesday urged the Islamic Republic to stop producing uranium enriched to 60%. The representative of Qatar in the Board of Governors also emphasized the urgent need for progress, especially in implementing the fourth March agreement between Iran and the Agency. The Islamic Republic has ignored previous resolutions, claiming that its nuclear program has peaceful goals while accelerating its nuclear activities. However, Western powers argue that there is no credible civilian justification for the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities.