After 'political' IAEA resolution, Iran says to build new enrichment facility in secure location

Iran has condemned a “politically-motivated” resolution adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, saying it will build a new enrichment facility in a secure location.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and the Foreign Ministry issued a joint statement on Thursday after the 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution accusing Iran of "non-compliance" with its nuclear obligations.

The resolution, drafted by the United States, Britain, France and Germany, was passed with 19 votes in favor, three against, and 11 abstentions. Russia, China, and Burkina Faso voted against it. Among the countries that abstained were South Africa, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, and Brazil.

"As we have announced before, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no choice but to respond to this political resolution,” the joint statement said in reaction to the resolution.

It added that Head of the AEOI Mohammad Eslami has issued the necessary instructions to “build a new enrichment center in a secure location.”

The new site will replace the first-generation enrichment machines at Fordow nuclear facility with advanced sixth-generation ones, it emphasized.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry and AEOI said the resolution was yet another instrumental use of the governing board based on political motives and lacks technical and legal foundations.

They once again affirmed Iran’s full compliance with its Safeguard commitments, noting that none of the IAEA reports has so far entailed the Islamic Republic’s non-compliance with its commitments or any deviation from its nuclear activities.

The joint statement pointed to the IAEA’s “political and biased” report and said the US and European troika have gone even further by drafting a resolution whose main content is also in contradiction to the politically-motivated report by the UN nuclear agency’s director general.

It added that the four countries are pursuing their own political agendas and have attempted to revive allegations dating back over 25 years, after failing to identify any ambiguities in Iran's current nuclear activities.

“This comes despite the fact that all past claims were declared closed under the Agency’s November 2015 resolution,” the statement noted.

Iran warns it may use legal right to leave NPT if European states trigger return of UN sanction

Iran warns it may exercise its legal right to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if European states trigger return of UN sanctions.

The statement also criticized the four countries for remaining silent in the face of the Israeli regime’s refusal to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its clandestine program for developing weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear arms.

It noted that no action has been taken in response to the Israeli regime’s threats to attack the peaceful nuclear facilities of NPT member states.

The United States and the E3 have failed to fulfill their obligations under Article 6 of the NPT concerning nuclear disarmament, while Germany continues to host such lethal weapons, the statement said.

The statement emphasized that the four countries’ efforts to pass a resolution against Iran have “completely undermined the credibility and reputation” of the UN nuclear agency and further exposed the political nature of this international body.

“Such a political approach toward a country that has consistently adhered to its commitments and engaged extensively with the Agency leads us to conclude that policies of interaction and cooperation yield counterproductive results,” it added.

The statement concluded by saying that Iran is devising alternative plans, which will be announced in due course.

Separately, in a letter dated Wednesday to the UN Security Council, Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani warned that the country may exercise its legal right to withdraw from the NPT if European states proceed with a legally baseless attempt to trigger the return of the UN sanctions against Iran.

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