Reza Najafi, who represents Iran at the United Nations office and other international organizations in Vienna, made the remarks on Wednesday at the ongoing quarterly meeting of the I.A.E.A. Board of Governors, which began in Vienna two days earlier.
Najafi’s comments came in response to a report by I.A.E.A. Director General Rafael Grossi to the Board regarding the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement with Iran, as well as verification efforts in the Islamic Republic under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Grossi’s report accused Iran of failing to cooperate with the agency concerning alleged “undeclared nuclear material and activities at multiple undeclared locations.” In response, the United States and the E3 drafted a resolution against Iran, alleging non-compliance. At the same time, the E3 has been considering activating the snapback mechanism, a provision in the JCPOA that allows for the automatic reinstatement of U.N. sanctions on Iran if it is found to be in significant non-compliance with the agreement.
Najafi dismissed Grossi’s report, emphasizing that Iran’s nuclear activities—including uranium enrichment and stockpiling—remain entirely peaceful, are subject to I.A.E.A. safeguards verifications, and are aligned with Iran’s indisputable rights under the NPT.
Najafi reiterated that as a signatory to the NPT, Iran reserves the right to research, produce, and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, including uranium enrichment. Regardless of the scale of these activities, they cannot be deemed a serious concern, as all operations remain under the supervision of the I.A.E.A., he added.
Furthermore, the envoy stressed that Iran remains committed to the NPT and has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons, citing strategic calculations and a religious decree by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution banning such weapons.
Najafi emphasized that Iran has fulfilled its nuclear obligations under the JCPOA and has even cooperated beyond the framework of the Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol. He noted that Tehran’s remedial measures under the JCPOA were taken only after the United States withdrew from the deal in 2018 and the E3 failed to honor their commitments under the JCPOA and Resolution 2231.
“Since the E3 has seriously violated Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA, they are neither in a moral nor legal position to activate the snapback mechanism,” Najafi said, warning of serious consequences should the U.N. Security Council impose new sanctions.
“If such a scenario unfolds, Iran’s options will be firm, and the United States and the E3 will bear full responsibility.”
