Iran warns European nations over move to censure it for nuclear 'non-compliance'
Iran 's Foreign Minister warned the UK, France and Germany on Friday against backing a resolution censuring Tehran at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency next week, saying such a move would be a "strategic mistake".
"Instead of engaging in good faith, the E3 is opting for malign action against Iran at the IAEA Board of Governors," Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X.
"Mark my words as Europe ponders another major strategic mistake: Iran will react strongly against any violation of its rights."
Mr Araghchi's warning comes as the three European nations prepare to join the United States in backing a draft resolution to censure Iran at next week's board meeting, a diplomatic source told AFP.
The resolution would accuse Iran of failing to meet its obligations as a signatory of the Nuclear No-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and carries the threat of referral to the UN Security Council if Tehran "does not show goodwill", the source added.
The move follows a quarterly report from the IAEA last week which cited a "general lack of co-operation" from Iran and raised concerns over undeclared nuclear material.
The UN's nuclear watchdog also expressed 'serious concern' that Iran had stepped up its enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade level in recent months. The report said Iran had an estimated 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent as of May 17, up by 133.8kg since the last report in February.
According to the IAEA, Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to 60 per cent, which is close to the roughly 90 per cent level needed for atomic weapons. Iran has repeatedly denied that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Tehran rejected the report as politically motivated and based on "forged documents" that it said had been provided by its arch foe Israel.
In his post on X, Mr Araghchi said that despite "years of good co-operation with the IAEA – resulting in a resolution which shut down malign claims of a 'possible military dimension' (PMD) to Iran's peaceful nuclear programme – my country is once again accused of 'non-compliance'."
"Falsely accusing Iran of violating safeguards – based on shoddy and politicised reporting – is clearly designed to produce a crisis," he said.
The pressure on Iran comes as it holds indirect talks with the US, mediated by Oman, to reach an agreement that would see Tehran accept curbs on its nuclear activity in return for the lifting of economic sanctions imposed by Washington.
The two sides have held five rounds of talks since April 12 but are at odds over the issue of uranium enrichment, which produces fuel for nuclear reactors or, at higher levels of purity, material for nuclear warheads.
Iran's leaders say that it has the right to enrich uranium under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and that the issue is "non-negotiable", while President Donald Trump insists that US will not allow enrichment to continue on Iranian soil.
Tehran and Washington are seeking a new agreement to replace a 2015 deal with major powers which Mr Trump unilaterally abandoned during his first term in 2018.
The agreement quickly unravelled as Mr Trump reimposed sweeping sanctions on Iran, leading Tehran to begin breaching commitments it made under the pact including a 3.67 per cent cap on the level of its uranium enrichment.
Britain, France and Germany, which were all party to the 2015 deal, are now considering whether to trigger a "snapback" of UN sanctions under its dispute resolution mechanism – an option that expires on the deal's 10th anniversary in October.
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