Iran Rejects Allegations in Latest IAEA Resolution

Points to constant European violations of commitments under the nuclear deal

In a 20-2 vote with 12 abstentions, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a new resolution demanding Iran resume total cooperation with the JCPOA nuclear deal of 2015, and to readmit inspectors.

The resolution was worded similarly to one pushed previously by the E3 (France, Germany, and Britain) and rests on the idea Iran poses a proliferation threat. China and Russia voted against the resolution.

The Biden Administration expressed concern about the resolution’s wording, commenting the US did not want to back an unenforceable resolution and warned it might prompt Iran to further escalate the situation. Despite this, the US voted in favor of the resolution.

The E3 followed up the vote with a letter demanding Iran “halt its nuclear escalation.” They also demanded that Iran never again attempt to produce uranium metal, trying to spin that as a step toward weaponization.

In reality, Iran’s highest enrichment is only up to 60%, far short of weapons-grade, and even that is in redress at never having gotten promised sanctions relief under the JCPOA.

Iranian Ambassador to the UN Amir Saeed Iravani said that such measures, which he referred to as “remedial measures,” are themselves in full compliance with the terms of the JCPOA.

The ambassador reiterated Iran’s commitment to a peaceful nuclear program and interest in following the terms of the JCPOA if the other parties do so.

From 2015-2018, the JCPOA’s promised sanctions relief never materialized, mostly the result of the US arguing that issues unrelated to Iran’s nuclear program, were themselves justification for maintaining sanctions.

In 2018, the Trump Administration withdrew from the JCPOA, which led to Iran openly enriching uranium beyond the levels intended under the deal. This action by Iran was an effort to bring the remaining parties of the deal to the table to negotiate how to handle the unilateral US pullout. The other nations, notably the E3, have spent the last six years railing against Iran for its violations, and no negotiations have taken place.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.