VIENNA, September 9 — On June 19, 2020, the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency adopted a resolution formally reporting Iran to the United Nations Security Council for its failure to cooperate with the agency’s investigation into undeclared nuclear material and activities. According to the filing, the record shows this marked the first such referral in 20 years, since the IAEA board reported Iran to the Security Council in 2006 over its nuclear program.
The resolution, drafted by France, Germany, and the United Kingdom — the E3 — was passed with 25 votes in favor, 2 against, and 7 abstentions. Russia and China voted against the measure.
The board acted after Iran refused to grant IAEA inspectors access to two sites where the agency suspected past undeclared nuclear activity, including a location in Tehran and another in the central province of Isfahan. The IAEA had been seeking answers since 2019 regarding uranium particles found at these sites, which indicated possible undeclared nuclear material. On the timeline, sources familiar with the matter confirm that Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Kazem Gharib Abadi, called the resolution “unconstructive” and warned that Iran would respond proportionately.
The referral to the Security Council could revive the possibility of UN sanctions against Iran, which had been lifted under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action between Iran and the P5+1. The JCPOA, signed in July 2015, had limited Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
In May 2018, the United States, under President Donald Trump, withdrew from the JCPOA and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Iran subsequently began exceeding the deal’s limits on uranium enrichment and stockpiles. The IAEA’s board resolution called on Iran to provide full cooperation and access to the two sites, and to report to the Security Council on the matter.
The resolution also expressed serious concern over Iran’s continued refusal to grant access, which the IAEA said undermined its ability to verify the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program. The IAEA’s director general at the time, Rafael Grossi, had urged Iran to cooperate, stating that the agency’s ability to provide assurances about the absence of undeclared nuclear material was essential. The Security Council referral was seen as a significant escalation in the long-running dispute over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, with potential implications for regional security and international diplomacy.
Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and has denied allegations of seeking nuclear weapons. The resolution came amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States, following the US drone strike in January 2020 that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
The board’s action was the latest in a series of steps that threatened to unravel the JCPOA, which had been a cornerstone of international non-proliferation efforts. The referral to the Security Council did not automatically trigger sanctions, but it set the stage for possible UN action if Iran failed to comply with the board’s demands. The IAEA’s board of governors, composed of 35 member states, is the agency’s main policymaking body, and its decisions are significant in the international nuclear governance framework.
