WANA (Mar 05) – The European Union delegation in Vienna has accused Iran of prolonged non-cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), claiming it has led to a “stalemate” in resolving outstanding safeguard issues.

 

In a statement during the IAEA Board of Governors meeting, the EU alleged that Iran’s failure to provide full and technically credible explanations has prevented the agency from verifying the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. It also expressed concern over undeclared nuclear sites, urging Tehran to grant immediate access and fulfill its legal obligations.

 

“It is regrettable that, despite five resolutions by the Board of Governors and multiple opportunities over more than five years, Iran has not yet provided full and technically credible explanations to clarify these issues,” the statement read. “This prevents the agency from confirming the correctness and completeness of Iran’s declarations. Given Iranian officials’ remarks about the country’s nuclear capabilities, the situation is even more concerning.”

 

“undeclared nuclear facilities where uranium particles have been detected” and called Iran’s alleged lack of cooperation “deeply troubling,” the EU delegation reiterated.

 

“As reaffirmed in the EU delegation’s latest resolution in November 2024, Iran must fulfill its legal obligations by providing all necessary information and granting immediate access to the IAEA. This is crucial for verifying that no nuclear material has been diverted,” the statement added.

 

The EU also urged Iran to implement the Additional Protocol and criticized Tehran’s decision to halt compliance with the modified Code 3.1 of its Safeguards Agreement, calling it a violation of its legal commitments.

 

The statement further raised concerns about the IAEA’s findings regarding undeclared nuclear particles, asserting that “no progress has been made” in resolving the discrepancies. The EU urged Iran to “clarify the issue instead of rejecting the agency’s assessment.”

 

Without mentioning the EU Troika’s previous actions against Iran—including an anti-Iran resolution at the last Board of Governors’ session—the delegation criticized Tehran for refusing to approve four IAEA inspectors initially proposed by the agency.

 

Despite Grossi’s acknowledgment of the EU Troika’s disruptive actions and his confirmation that Iran’s nuclear program remains under the most extensive IAEA oversight, the EU continues to cite the inspector issue as a major obstacle to verifying Iran’s nuclear activities.

 

Concluding the statement, the EU delegation urged Iran to “seize this opportunity” and swiftly engage with the IAEA to ensure full compliance with its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement (CSA).