Nuclear Watchdog Rebuked Iran. It Swiftly Retaliated

For the first time in two decades, the UN's nuclear watchdog has formally rebuked Iran for failing to meet its nuclear commitments. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday passed a resolution declaring that Iran is not meeting its nuclear nonproliferation obligations, intensifying global tensions and raising fears of possible military conflict, per the New York Times. The vote, held in Vienna, comes as US and European officials warn Israel may be preparing for a possible military strike against Iran.

The resolution introduced by the US, UK, France, and Germany passed with 19 votes in favor out of 35. Russia, China, and Burkina Faso opposed it; 11 countries abstained, and two did not vote. In the draft resolution seen by the AP, the IAEA's board of governors again insisted Iran supply answers "without delay" to questions about uranium traces found at several locations Iran did not declare as nuclear sites. "Western officials suspect that the uranium traces could provide further evidence that Iran had a secret nuclear weapons program until 2003," per the AP.

In response, Iran's foreign ministry and atomic energy agency condemned the resolution as politically motivated and said it undermined the IAEA's credibility. The AP reports their statement declared Iran "has no choice but to respond to this political resolution." Indeed, the country quickly announced plans to launch a third site for enrichment—one Iran says is "already built, prepared, and located in a secure and invulnerable place"—and upgrade equipment at another facility.

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Iranian officials have also threatened to leave the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, though they have not ratified a section that would grant inspectors broader access within the country. The resolution threatens to further complicate ongoing diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran in Oman, per the BBC. Iran's foreign minister warned that any military action against Iran by Israel or the US would provoke a strong reaction, potentially including strikes on US bases. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)