Araghchi urges UN and IAEA to condemn U.S. nuclear bounty

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has sent letters dated November 10 to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the President of the Security Council, and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, urging them to explicitly and unambiguously condemn a U.S. State Department announcement offering rewards of up to $20 million for information about Iran's peaceful nuclear program. The announcement, published on November 6 and 7 through the State Department's "Rewards for Justice" program and reposted by U.S. Central Command, raised serious concerns about the security and integrity of the nuclear program of an NPT member state, according to the letters.

The offer covers information on individuals associated with the program, members of Iran's scientific community, and nuclear facilities and equipment, and includes the possibility of relocation. Iran condemned the move as reckless and dangerous, stating that it explicitly encourages covert collection of information and espionage on nuclear facilities, material, technical equipment, scientists, and specialists. Iran warned that the move risks encouraging espionage and the targeting of nuclear scientists and technical staff, and raises serious concerns about the safety of nuclear facilities and the people working in peaceful nuclear activities.

The letter cited Article 4 of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which recognizes states' right to develop research, production, and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in conformity with their international obligations. It said no state should seek to undermine another country's lawful peaceful nuclear activities through coercive measures, covert interference, or actions that endanger the security of its nuclear facilities and scientific community. Araghchi said that a public request for confidential information about the nuclear facilities, equipment, and personnel of an independent state, particularly when those facilities are under IAEA safeguards, raises serious questions about the credibility, integrity, and reliability of the agency's safeguards system. He added that it is not possible to expect normal implementation of safeguards obligations when safeguarded facilities, personnel, and sensitive information are exposed to assassination, sabotage, and aggression.

Facilities under IAEA safeguards remain subject to international law, and safeguards do not diminish a state's sovereign rights, Araghchi said, warning that information related to safeguards could be misused for purposes entirely contrary to the agency's verification mission. The letter described the explicit inclusion of nuclear scientists and technical staff in the rewards announcement as deeply concerning, and said that scientists and technical experts in the peaceful nuclear field must be able to carry out their professional duties without intimidation, threat, coercion, or exposure to activities that endanger their lives and personal security.

Araghchi asked the UN chief and the Security Council to immediately draw the international community's attention to the serious implications of the U.S. announcement for international peace and security, and to address, within their Charter responsibilities, the threats U.S. actions pose to the safety and security of nuclear facilities, equipment, and related personnel, and to hold Washington accountable for its continued wrongful acts. He specifically asked the IAEA Director General to reaffirm the importance of preserving the confidentiality, impartiality, and institutional independence of the agency's safeguards activities; to take all necessary measures within the agency's mandate to ensure that safeguards-related information and knowledge are not disclosed or misused for purposes contrary to its mission, with particular attention to ensuring the safety and security of nuclear scientists and relevant staff; and to bring the matter to the IAEA Board of Governors and consider necessary institutional measures. Iran requested that the letters be distributed as official documents of the Security Council and the IAEA. According to Mehr News, the letters were dated November 10.