IAEA passes resolution to refer Iran to UN Security Council for first time in 20 years

(Johannesburg = Yonhap News) Correspondent Na Kwak-jin = Reuters and Associated Press reported on the 9th (local time) that the Board of Directors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution to refer Iran to the United Nations Security Council (Security Council) for violating its nuclear non-proliferation obligations.

This is the first time in 20 years that the IAEA Board of Directors has referred Iran to the Security Council.

The board noted that Iran was not cooperating with its long-term investigation into traces of uranium discovered by inspectors at several undeclared facilities in the country.

At the same time, he requested the Secretary-General to report this resolution and previously adopted resolutions to all IAEA member states, the UN Security Council, and the General Assembly in accordance with IAEA regulations.

The resolution also called on Iran to urgently correct its failure to fulfill its obligations and to take measures deemed necessary by the IAEA to ensure that "nuclear materials are not being diverted for other purposes."

Iran has not allowed IAEA inspectors access to its nuclear facilities since Israel and the United States attacked them in June last year.

AP and AFP reported citing anonymous diplomats that this resolution, jointly submitted by the United States, Britain, France, and Germany, was approved by 23 of the 35 IAEA members.

China, Russia, and Niger opposed the resolution, eight countries abstained, and one remaining country reportedly did not participate in the vote because it was in arrears with its contributions.

This resolution is a follow-up to the resolution adopted on June 12 last year. In its resolution at the time, the IAEA determined that Iran was not complying with its nuclear non-proliferation obligations.

The IAEA estimated that at the time, Iran possessed 440.9 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60%. Reuters explained that this is enough to make 10 nuclear weapons if further enriched.

The day after this resolution was adopted last year, Israel began bombing Iran's nuclear facilities, and the United States also attacked Iran's nuclear facilities soon after.

Iran immediately opposed the resolution.

Iran's IAEA Ambassador Reza Najafi said on Iranian state television, "This resolution was passed without any basis due to political pressure from the United States and its allies," and "it will not bring any results."

Iran's representative office to UN organizations in Vienna, Austria, also criticized in a post posted on

The Iranian mission warned on the 7th that it would retaliate if the resolution was adopted, but there was no mention of retaliation in the post posted that day.

Foreign media outlets analyzed that the Security Council is unlikely to take concrete action, such as adopting a resolution, against Iran. This is because China and Russia, which are known to have opposed the IAEA's adoption of this resolution, have veto power as permanent members of the Security Council.