Nuclear watchdog finds Iran not complying with its obligations for first time in 20 years
The UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors on Thursday formally found that Iran was not complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years, a move that could lead to further tensions and set in motion an effort to restore United Nations sanctions on Tehran later this year.
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Iran reacted immediately, saying it would establish a new enrichment facility after the vote against it. The announcement said the facility would be 'in a secure location' and that 'other measures are also being planned'.
'The Islamic Republic of Iran has no choice but to respond to this political resolution,' the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran said in a joint statement announcing the decision.
Nineteen countries on the International Atomic Energy Agency's board, which represents the agency's member nations, voted for the resolution, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the outcome of the closed-door vote.
International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters in Vienna, Austria. File photo: AP
Russia, China and Burkina Faso opposed it, 11 abstained and two did not vote.
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