WANA (Nov 21) – The European Troika—comprising the UK, France, and Germany—has issued a statement at the IAEA Board of Governors, criticizing Iran’s nuclear activities, accusing Tehran of impeding the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) monitoring efforts.

 

In the statement, the three countries thanked IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi for his latest report on Iran’s nuclear program, praising the agency’s professionalism and impartiality.

 

However, they expressed serious concerns, citing Iran’s continued expansion of uranium enrichment. Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium is now more than 32 times the limit set in the JCPOA, with significant increases in uranium enriched up to 60%. Over the last five months, Iran has also increased its production capacity by installing advanced centrifuges, including six more cascades at the Natanz facility.

 

The Troika accused Iran of obstructing the IAEA’s work, hampering its ability to verify Iran’s nuclear activities and guarantee the peaceful nature of the program. They pointed out that due to Iran’s lack of transparency, the IAEA has lost knowledge on the production and inventory of centrifuges, rotors, heavy water, and uranium ore concentrate.

 

The statement also criticized Iran’s removal of experienced IAEA inspectors and its refusal to allow full access to IAEA monitors at key nuclear sites. Iran has proposed accepting four additional inspectors but the Troika believes this will not compensate for the loss of expertise. Furthermore, the IAEA report notes that Iran has suspended its Additional Protocol for over three years, restricting the agency’s access to Iranian sites.

 

The European powers reiterated their call for Iran to halt its uranium enrichment at 60% and immediately dilute its stockpile. They emphasized that even if Iran complies with this promise, it would still retain significant reserves of enriched uranium and the capability to resume 60% enrichment at any time.

 

The three countries argued that Iran’s nuclear activities are a long-standing proliferation threat and called on Iran to reverse its actions, return to the limits set by the JCPOA, and reinstate transparency measures, including reimplementing the Additional Protocol. They also demanded Iran stop further nuclear expansion and refrain from pursuing a nuclear weapon.

 

The Troika concluded by reaffirming their commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and vowed to use all diplomatic leverage to achieve this goal. They also expressed concerns over recent statements from Iranian officials regarding the country’s alleged technical capabilities to produce nuclear weapons.

 

Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Atomic Energy Organization head Mohammad Eslami, warned that any resolution passed at the current IAEA meeting would prompt an immediate and firm reaction from Iran. Iran has repeatedly stated its intention to de-escalate tensions with Europe but warned that such a resolution could undermine these efforts.

 

The European Troika has issued a statement at the IAEA Board of Governors despite the fact that after the U.S. withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, none of the remaining parties have upheld their commitments to Iran.