WANA (Sep 15) –Iran has been elected as one of the eight vice-presidents of the annual General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, with the support of the Middle East and South Asia group.

 

On Monday, while presenting the list of nominees for the Bureau of the General Conference, the president of the IAEA General Conference read out the name of the Islamic Republic of Iran alongside Argentina, France, Côte d’Ivoire, Mongolia, New Zealand, Poland, and the United States as vice-presidents of the conference.

 

In reaction to Iran’s nomination, the U.S. delegate expressed dissatisfaction with the endorsement by the Middle East and South Asia group (MESA). Repeating political claims regarding Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, the U.S. representative alleged that Iran has not fully complied with its safeguards obligations and argued that holding such a position would be “inappropriate.”

Iran and IAEA, Social media / WANA News Agency

Reza Najafi, Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, responded by thanking the majority of member states and the MESA group for their trust in Iran. He stated: “This decision has been made based on a well-established and recognized procedure, and all parties should respect the choices of regional groups.” Rejecting the U.S. political accusations, he added: “Decisions here are taken by majority vote, and a single country cannot block them.”

 

Najafi also referred to the recent political resolution of the IAEA Board of Governors against Iran, stressing that the document lacks a legal basis and was adopted with only a fragile majority. He noted that such conduct should not overshadow the established procedures of the General Conference.

 

The 69th IAEA General Conference opened on Monday morning at the agency’s headquarters in Vienna, with the participation of senior representatives from member states. The week-long session, running until Friday, September 19, 2025, is considered one of the agency’s most important annual events, where ambassadors, delegates, and senior officials of member states discuss a wide range of issues related to the agency’s activities and budget.