VIENNA: The UN nuclear watchdog’s board on Wednesday censured Iran for failing to cooperate fully with the agency, diplomats said, calling on Tehran to provide answers in a long-running investigation and reverse its decision to bar several experienced UN inspectors.
The development comes just over a week after a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels, he latest in Tehran’s attempts to steadily exert pressure on the international community.
The vote by the 35-member board at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna sets the stage for a likely further escalation of tensions between the agency and Iran, which has reacted strongly to similar previous resolutions.
Twenty members voted for the resolution, while Russia and China opposed it, 12 abstained and one did not vote, according to diplomats. They spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the outcome of the closed-doors vote. The resolution was put forward by France, Germany and Britain.
Censure resolutions by the IAEA board are not legally binding but send a strong political and diplomatic message.
The resolution, a draft of which was seen by The Associated Press, called on Tehran to implement a joint statement between Iran and the IAEA from March 2023. In that statement, Iran pledged to resolve issues surrounding sites where inspectors have questions about possible undeclared nuclear activity, and to allow the IAEA to “implement further appropriate verification and monitoring activities.”
Inspectors have said two sites near Tehran bore traces of processed uranium. The IAEA has urged Iran to provide “technically credible” answers about the origin and current location of the nuclear material in order for it “to be in a position to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.”
While the number of sites about which the IAEA has questions has been reduced from four to two since 2019, those lingering questions have been a persistent source of tensions.
The IAEA has identified the sites as Turquzabad and Varamin. The IAEA has said inspectors believe Iran used the Varamin site from 1999 until 2003 as a pilot project to process uranium ore and convert it into a gas form. The IAEA said buildings at the site had been demolished in 2004.
Tehran insists its program is peaceful, though the West and the IAEA say Iran had an organized military nuclear program until 2003.
Turquzabad is where the IAEA believes Iran took some of the material at Varamin amid the demolition, though it has said that alone cannot “explain the presence of the multiple types of isotopically altered particles” found there.
In an apparent attempt to raise the pressure on Tehran, the resolution approved Wednesday states that IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi may need to prepare a “comprehensive and updated assessment” on unresolved issues surrounding Iran’s nuclear program, if there is “a continued failure by Iran to provide the necessary, full and unambiguous co-operation” to resolve the unanswered questions.
The IAEA board last censured Iran in November 2022. Iran retaliated by beginning to enrich uranium to 60 percent purity at its Fordo nuclear plant. Uranium enriched at 60 percent purity is just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent.
Iran responded to a previous resolution in June 2022 by removing IAEA cameras and monitoring equipment from its nuclear sites.
Iran in September barred several experienced UN inspectors from monitoring the country’s nuclear program. Grossi said at the time that the decision constituted “a very serious blow” to the agency’s ability to do its job “to the best possible level.”
Under a 2015 deal with world powers, Tehran agreed to limit enrichment of uranium to levels necessary for generating nuclear power in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. At the time, UN inspectors were tasked with monitoring the program.
However, tensions steadily grew between Iran and the IAEA since 2018, when then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the nuclear deal. Since then, Iran has abandoned all limits the deal put on its program and quickly stepped up enrichment.
UN nuclear agency’s board votes to censure Iran for failing to cooperate fully with the watchdog
UN nuclear agency’s board votes to censure Iran for failing to cooperate fully with the watchdog
- The vote by the 35-member board at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna sets the stage for a likely further escalation of tensions between the agency and Iran
- Twenty members voted for the resolution, while Russia and China opposed it, 12 abstained and one did not vote
Oman and Lebanon call for full Israeli withdrawal, urge end to attacks
- Joseph Aoun and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq make a joint call for an immediate halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory
- Reaffirmation of the unified Arab position on ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and his Omani counterpart Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on Wednesday made a joint call for an immediate halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory and a full withdrawal from all occupied Arab lands, warning that continued violations pose a direct threat to regional stability.
The statement came during a high-level summit in Muscat, where both leaders voiced “serious concern over the ongoing Israeli aggression” and described the occupation as a “clear violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and other international resolutions.
The two sides also expressed support for international efforts to de-escalate tensions, stabilize the situation on the ground, facilitate the return of displaced persons, and advance post-conflict reconstruction.
Aoun led a Lebanese ministerial delegation to Oman that included Lebanon’s ministers of foreign affairs, interior, defense, health, and agriculture for talks with Omani officials.
The joint statement emphasized the strengthening of bilateral ties and expanding cooperation in key sectors including politics, the economy, investment, banking, tourism, transport, and logistics.
Both sides called for early preparations to hold the first session of the Omani-Lebanese Joint Committee, chaired by the two foreign ministers in Muscat, and to pursue new agreements and memorandums of understanding intended to enhance collaboration in trade, culture, and science. The statement also highlighted the need to boost private sector engagement in shared development opportunities.
The Omani side reaffirmed its full support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as for strengthening Lebanese state institutions, particularly the army and legitimate security forces, and backing the country’s ongoing economic, financial, and administrative reforms.
The two sides reaffirmed the unified Arab position on ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. They also underscored the importance of strengthening Arab solidarity, respecting the sovereignty of states, and upholding the principles of good neighborliness and international law.
Aoun’s official visit to Oman took place within the context of Muscat’s established role as a regional and international mediator. During his meetings, Aoun praised Oman’s diplomatic standing and approach, describing it as “wise and responsible.”
He commended Oman’s foreign policy, grounded in dialogue, mediation, balance, and good neighborliness, saying it had earned the sultanate a “distinguished status and a pivotal role in promoting stability and resolving conflicts through peaceful means.”
Aoun said that, in Lebanon, “we hold this wise approach in high regard and deeply value the sultanate’s steadfast support for Lebanon in various international forums, as well as its support as we confront the challenges before us.”
For his part, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq reaffirmed Oman’s continued commitment to Lebanon’s stability and its close monitoring of the latest developments in the country.
He emphasized the deep-rooted relations between the two countries and the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation and coordination. The sultan also praised the positive contributions of the Lebanese community in Oman.
On the sidelines of the visit, Lebanese Interior Minister Ahmed Al-Hajjar held a meeting with his Omani counterpart Hamoud bin Faisal Al-Busaidi at Al-Alam Palace in Muscat. They underlined the enhancement of joint cooperation, particularly in security and policing.
According to a joint statement, the discussions also covered Lebanon’s efforts to consolidate internal security and maintain stability.
Participating on the Omani side in the expanded talks were Al-Busaidi; Shihab bin Tarik Al-Said, deputy prime minister for defense affairs; Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi, foreign minister of Oman; Hamad bin Said Al-Aufi, head of the private office; Mahad bin Said Ba’owain, minister of labor and head of the honorary mission; Saud bin Hamoud Al-Habsi, minister of agricultural, fisheries and water resources; and Hilal bin Ali Al-Sabti, minister of health.
