BICOM

At a meeting of the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the representative of the United States warned that it would consider reporting Iran to the United Nations (UN) Security Council in March if there was not significant cooperation beforehand.

Iran has long refused to curb its nuclear programme, which it is feared is designed to produce nuclear weapons. Tehran’s failure to cooperate with the IAEA’s request to inspect sites and have access to officials and documents has led to Iran being referred to the UN Security Council as far back as 2006, which has since paved the way for four rounds of international sanctions against Iran.

Yesterday, the United States’ representative at the IAEA Robert Wood warned that unless the agency’s Director General Yukia Amano is able to report “substantive steps” over Iranian cooperation in his next quarterly report in February, then the US will consider taking action.

Wood said, “If by March Iran has not begun substantive cooperation with the IAEA, the United States will work with other board members to pursue appropriate board action, and would urge the board to consider reporting this lack of progress to the UN Security Council.”

The IAEA is set to meet with Iranian officials in December, while tentative talks between Tehran and the so-called P5+1 powers, the United States, UK, China, Russia, France and Germany have made little headway so far.

European Union representatives also made a clear appeal to the IAEA board, saying “Iran must act now, in a substantive way, to address the serious and continuing international concerns on its nuclear programme.”

Meanwhile, IAEA chief Amano expressed concern at the lack of Iranian transparency and “extensive activities” at the Parchin facility. He called on all sides to work “with a sense of urgency and seize the opportunity for a diplomatic solution.”