The board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has passed a resolution to report Iran to the UN Security Council for breaching its non-proliferation obligations, marking the first such referral in two decades, according to diplomats.
This resolution follows a previous one adopted on June 12 of the prior year, which determined Iran was in "non-compliance" with its obligations. The current action is necessary to refer Iran to the Security Council for that breach. While concrete action by the Security Council is considered unlikely due to the veto power held by permanent members Russia and China, this move represents an escalation in the diplomatic standoff between Iran and Western nations. Iran had previously warned of retaliation should the resolution be passed.
The text, which was proposed by the United States, Britain, France, and Germany, garnered 23 votes in favor, with three votes against and eight abstentions, diplomats reported from the closed-door IAEA meeting. Russia, China, and Niger were the countries that opposed the resolution.
The resolution text states, "(The board) requests the (IAEA) Director General to report this resolution and the previously adopted resolutions ... to all Members of the Agency and to the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the IAEA Statute."
Although the finding of non-compliance predates recent conflicts and pertains to Iran's failure to provide explanations regarding uranium traces discovered at undeclared sites, a new point of contention has emerged concerning IAEA access to sites that were bombed by Israel and the United States.
