March 2025, Vienna
In a joint statement delivered at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board meeting in Vienna, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States (the Quad) expressed deep concern over Iran’s continued lack of cooperation with the IAEA in fulfilling its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement. UK Ambassador Corinne Kitsell delivered the statement on behalf of the Quad, highlighting Iran’s persistent failure to clarify outstanding safeguards issues related to its nuclear program.
Five Years of Non-Cooperation
The Quad commended the IAEA for its persistent efforts to engage Iran and shed light on its nuclear activities. However, the statement underscored that for more than five years, Iran has refused to provide the necessary clarifications regarding the presence of nuclear material detected at multiple undeclared locations. This continued refusal has left the IAEA unable to confirm that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.
“Iran must fully cooperate, or the Board must be prepared to find Iran in noncompliance,” the statement warned. “Time is not on Iran’s side.”
Unresolved Safeguards Issues
The statement recalled IAEA findings on Iran’s undeclared nuclear activities at various sites, including Turquzabad, Varamin, Marivan, and Lavisan-Shian. The lack of Iranian transparency has hindered the IAEA’s ability to resolve these concerns. Specifically:
- The IAEA concluded it could no longer pursue the issue at Lavisan-Shian due to Iran’s failure to provide relevant information.
- Iran has not provided technically credible explanations for the IAEA’s findings at Marivan.
- The discrepancy in nuclear material at Jaber Ibn Hayan Laboratory remains unresolved.
Instead of cooperating with the IAEA, Iran has continued to challenge the agency’s technical assessments, further complicating efforts to verify its nuclear activities.
Iran’s Continued Violations
The Quad criticized Iran’s refusal to abide by its safeguards agreement, particularly its failure to provide legally required design information for new nuclear facilities under modified Code 3.1. The statement expressed grave concern over Iran’s history of covert nuclear development and its refusal to accept the designation of additional IAEA inspectors, which has significantly hindered the agency’s verification capabilities.
The statement also pointed to alarming public remarks by senior Iranian officials, who have suggested that Iran possesses the technical capability to develop a nuclear weapon. These statements, coupled with Iran’s refusal to comply with safeguards obligations, have heightened concerns over the country’s nuclear intentions.
Call for Decisive Action
While recognizing the IAEA’s tireless efforts to engage Iran, the Quad emphasized that mere promises from Iran are no longer sufficient. The Board adopted two resolutions in 2024 urging Iran to cooperate, yet Iran ignored them.
A key development from the November 2024 Board resolution was the request for the IAEA Director General to produce a comprehensive assessment of Iran’s possible undeclared nuclear material and activities. The Quad stressed that this assessment should be completed promptly and based on all available information.
“If there is no concrete, technically credible progress reported by the Director General, the Board must be prepared to consider finding Iran in non-compliance with its safeguards agreement,” the statement asserted.
The Future of Iran’s NPT Obligations
The Quad emphasized that patience with Iran’s non-cooperation is running out. The IAEA must be fully supported in its efforts to obtain transparency on Iran’s nuclear program. If Iran continues down a path of escalation, obstruction, and delay, the international community must take decisive action.
“Iran has had many chances over many years to cooperate, but instead, it has chosen a path of obfuscation. Iran must be held to account if it continues along this path,” the statement concluded.
The Quad reaffirmed its support for the IAEA’s safeguards investigations, emphasizing that Iran’s compliance is essential for maintaining international security and the integrity of the global non-proliferation framework. The statement called for the IAEA’s latest report on Iran to be made public, underscoring the urgency of addressing Iran’s nuclear transparency deficit.
