IAEA Board Approves Resolution Admonishing Iran

The resolution explicitly emphasized the need for diplomatic, not military, solutions to the issue

The United Nations atomic agency’s board on Wednesday approved a resolution brought by world powers that criticizes Iran for continuing to enrich uranium and aims at dissuading Israel from attacking Iran by stressing the need for diplomacy.

The resolution cites the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) complaint that Iran has yet to open up the Parchin military site for inspections. It also expresses “serious concern that Iran continues to defy” UN Security Council resolutions which demand a halt to enrichment.

It was approved by the 35-nation board on Wednesday, with Cuba voting against and Egypt, Ecuador and Tunisia abstaining, all four of them allied members of the Non-Aligned Movement with Iran. Another such member, South Africa, introduced an amendment on a change of wording that reportedly was more lenient on Iran.

Notwithstanding Iran’s expanded enrichment activities, US intelligence has concluded Iran is not weaponizing any part of its nuclear program and has not even made the decision to go for nuclear weapons. Other countries who have violated the spirit of laws regarding nuclear non-proliferation, namely Israel and India, have been spared sanctions and harsh UNSC resolutions because of vetoes from the US.

The resolution “reflects the desire of member states to underscore that diplomacy is paramount and it warns Israel in two separate paragraphs that the diplomatic process should be supported,” Mark Hibbs from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace told AFP.

Author: John Glaser

John Glaser writes for Antiwar.com.