IAEA Reports Iran to UN over Nuclear Breach

For the first time in 20 years, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported Iran to the UN Security Council for breaching its non-proliferation obligations.

The resolution, proposed by the US, Britain, France and Germany, was supported by 23 of the IAEA Board of Governors’ 35 members. Russia, China and Niger voted against it, while eight countries abstained.

Last year, the board found Iran in non-compliance with its obligations over its failure to explain traces of uranium found at undeclared sites that the IAEA had spent years investigating. A separate resolution was required to report the breach to the Security Council.

Since then, the dispute has been complicated by Iran’s refusal to allow IAEA inspectors to return to nuclear facilities bombed by Israel and the US. Tehran has also yet to account for its stockpile of enriched uranium.

Although the resolution increases diplomatic pressure on Tehran, concrete action by the Security Council is unlikely because Iran’s allies Russia and China are permanent members with veto power. Iran had warned before the vote that it would retaliate if the resolution was adopted.

(Reuters, MJA)