Iran wins IAEA General Committee seat despite US opposition

Iran has won a seat on the General Committee of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following a vote by member states, according to the Iranian mission to the agency. In a post on its X account on Tuesday, the mission said IAEA member states had voted in favor of Iran's membership, describing the outcome as a rejection of attempts to use unilateral pressure to influence the agency's collective decisions.

"Despite US efforts to obstruct Iran's participation in the General Committee, IAEA Member States made their choice: they voted in favor of Iran," the mission stated. Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), also said the United States had made extensive efforts in recent days to prevent Iran from joining the committee. According to Kamalvandi, those efforts ultimately failed and the issue was put to a vote. He said the United States was defeated by a wide margin in the vote compared with the support Iran received.

The Iranian mission said the result was a sign that the international community would not allow unilateral pressure to determine collective decisions within the IAEA. The vote took place despite opposition from the United States, which had lobbied against Iran's participation in the committee.

According to Mehr News, the outcome reflects a broader dynamic at the IAEA, where member states have previously resisted efforts to isolate Iran. The General Committee is a key body within the IAEA that assists in the preparation and conduct of the General Conference, the agency's highest policymaking body. Iran's successful bid for a seat on the committee comes amid ongoing tensions between Tehran and Washington over nuclear issues and sanctions.

The report by Mehr News added that the vote was seen as a diplomatic win for Iran at the international level, underscoring the support it retains among many IAEA member states.