US and IAEA adopt tough resolution against Tehran
Photo: head of the IAEA Rafael Grossi (Getty Images)
The IAEA Board of Governors has adopted a resolution demanding that Iran immediately provide a report on its existing uranium stockpiles. Diplomatic pressure on Tehran has intensified following a series of military clashes in the region, according to Reuters.
The decision was supported by 21 countries out of the 35 members of the Board. The document was co-sponsored by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Western states are demanding full transparency from Tehran and access for inspectors to its facilities.
However, unity was not complete. Russia, China, and Niger voted against it, while another 10 countries abstained.
"Not only do Iran's actions raise urgent concerns regarding the nature of its nuclear programme, they also threaten the very integrity of the global nuclear safeguards regime," the four countries and the IAEA said in a joint statement.
Downed Apache as a trigger
Just hours before the vote, the US and Iran exchanged heavy strikes. The conflict escalated again after Donald Trump's statement about a downed American Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.
Last June, Israeli and US air forces already attacked Iranian uranium enrichment facilities. The sites suffered serious damage. However, the IAEA is convinced that most of the dangerous material survived and may have been concealed.
How Iran responded to the resolution
The Iranian side categorically rejects the accusations. Tehran's ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, called the demands "excessive" and accused the Board of trying to whitewash US actions.
"Without addressing the root causes of the present situation, the resolution focuses exclusively on their consequences and makes a number of excessive demands (on) Iran," Najafi said.
Tehran had previously warned that it could suspend cooperation with the IAEA due to such steps.
How much uranium does Iran have?
According to US data, Tehran may currently possess a stockpile of 440.9 kg of uranium enriched up to 60%. Only one step remains to reach weapons-grade level of 90%.
Experts estimate that this amount of material is enough to produce up to 10 nuclear warheads. The exact fate of these stocks after the bombings is unknown. IAEA inspectors are demanding "urgent" access to the sites where the fuel is stored.
Iran's nuclear potential
Most of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile is believed to still be located at the nuclear complex in Isfahan. This facility has repeatedly been targeted in US airstrikes.
The IAEA also fears that Tehran may mislead Trump. "The fact that, without verification, any agreement is no agreement. It's an illusion of an agreement," said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.
Trump previously stated that he would definitely remove all the "nuclear dust using excavators" to the United States.
