Iran criticises IAEA for silence on attacks on its nuclear sites

The Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations and other international organisations in Vienna issued a press release marking the seventieth anniversary of the adoption of the IAEA Statute on 23 October 1956. The statement said the anniversary should serve as a moment of critical reflection, institutional accountability and renewed commitment to the full, impartial and non-discriminatory implementation of the Statute rather than mere commemoration.

Iran criticised the IAEA for applying double standards and discriminatory approaches, stating that the Statute is a binding legal document and must not be used as a political instrument to serve the interests of certain powerful states. It condemned what it called the unacceptable silence of the Agency's governing bodies regarding military attacks by the United States and Israel on its nuclear facilities in 2025 and 2026, and highlighted the IAEA's failure to address the absence of comprehensive safeguards on Israel's nuclear activities. Iran also called for the full, balanced and non-discriminatory implementation of the IAEA Statute for all member states, particularly regarding technical cooperation and access to peaceful nuclear energy.

The statement argued that the Statute is the Agency's constitution and should not be invoked selectively or interpreted according to the interests of powerful states. It cited Article II on the promotion of atomic energy for peace, health and prosperity, Article III.A.1 on assisting research and peaceful applications, and Article III.B.3 on the efficient allocation of resources with regard to the needs of developing countries. Iran said the Agency is not merely a watchdog organisation, as some member states seek to portray it, and that verification must not eclipse peaceful nuclear cooperation and the legitimate rights of member states.

On sovereign equality, the statement cited Article IV.C and Article III.C, which prohibit making assistance subject to political, economic, military or other conditions incompatible with the Statute. It pointed to what it described as a continuing disparity between the scrutiny applied to Iran and the absence of comprehensive safeguards covering all Israeli nuclear activities, noting that Israel remains outside the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Iran said a credible and non-discriminatory approach to nuclear verification throughout the Middle East is a longstanding objective of regional countries party to the NPT.

Regarding attacks on nuclear facilities, Iran said the military strikes by the United States and Israel in 2025 and 2026 constituted serious breaches of the prohibition of aggression and posed a grave challenge to nuclear safety, nuclear security and the credibility of the IAEA safeguards system. It said the Agency's General Conference and Board of Governors have repeatedly adopted resolutions stating that armed attacks on or threats against peaceful nuclear facilities violate the UN Charter, international law and the Agency's Statute, yet the governing bodies and Secretariat failed to issue even a simple statement condemning the attacks. Iran called on the Board of Governors and the Director General to end double standards, resist politicisation, protect confidential information, condemn attacks against peaceful nuclear facilities and restore the full and balanced implementation of the Agency's mandate. According to Mehr News, the statement concluded that the Agency's credibility depends not only on its authority to inspect but equally on its adherence to the law, impartiality, independence and willingness to uphold the legitimate rights of all members.