Joint statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Atomic Energy Organization regarding the IAEA director general’s report to the Board of Governors

In light of the recent report by the IAEA Director General, documented in GOV/2025/25 dated May 31, 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Atomic Energy Organization deem it necessary to highlight the following points:

The governments of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States have repeatedly violated their obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and UN Security Council Resolution 2231, while resorting to unlawful unilateral sanctions and pressures against the Islamic Republic of Iran that contradict the principles of international law. During the November 2024 IAEA Board of Governors meeting, these countries, in a politically motivated and unjustified move, and despite the achievements of the Director General’s visit to Iran, presented a resolution against Iran, which failed to gain support from many members due to its politically destructive approach.

This approach once again proves that the three European countries and the United States are not sincere in their claims of preserving the IAEA’s credibility and seeking an agreement. They have spared no effort to exploit the IAEA for political purposes in the ongoing political process.

Despite Iran’s strong reservations about the content and orientation of the November 21, 2024, Board of Governors resolution and its legitimate opposition to the approach of the three European countries and the United States as sponsors of the resolution, Iran has continued its extensive cooperation with the IAEA based on a principled approach of constructive engagement within the framework of its rights and obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. In this regard, the IAEA Director General visited Tehran twice, and Iran hosted the IAEA Deputy Director General for Safeguards on two occasions.

Unfortunately, despite this extensive cooperation, the comprehensive report, while acknowledging Iran’s cooperation, does not reflect the true extent of this engagement. The Director General’s report extensively relies on forged documents provided by the Zionist regime, repeating biased and baseless accusations. The allegations in the current report are based on claims of a few undeclared activities and sites from decades ago, despite Iran’s repeated assertions that it has no undeclared nuclear activities or sites. Nevertheless, Iran has cooperated with the IAEA by granting access to the alleged sites, facilitating sampling, and providing detailed information and explanations on multiple occasions regarding the history of these claimed sites.

Other issues raised in the report concern matters such as the sovereign right of the country to designate inspectors, Code 3.1, the Joint Statement, enrichment levels, and speculative intent. Regarding the designation of inspectors, while the IAEA currently has 125 designated inspectors for Iran, the revocation of a small number of inspectors’ designations, based on Iran’s sovereign and indisputable rights under Article 9 of the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, is a routine action in line with the rights of NPT member states.

While Iran continues its cooperation with the IAEA within the framework of the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and the issuance of joint statements, the published report contains references to minor issues beyond the mandated scope, irrelevant, and outside the safeguards framework.

The Islamic Republic of Iran notes that the failure to properly distinguish between obligations under the NPT and voluntary commitments under the JCPOA is a fundamental flaw in this report. The report is structured in a way that some of Iran’s voluntary actions are incorrectly presented as binding safeguards obligations, despite the lack of legal basis for such an interpretation in the IAEA’s foundational documents, and Iran has no such legal obligations. Furthermore, relying on unreliable and misleading information provided by the illegitimate Zionist regime—a non-NPT member possessing weapons of mass destruction and responsible for heinous crimes against humanity, including genocide—contradicts the IAEA’s professional verification principles.

These issues lead the Islamic Republic of Iran to conclude that the structure and content of this report are neither balanced nor provide a comprehensive and accurate assessment of the factors contributing to the current situation, including the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and the fundamental non-compliance of European countries with their commitments.

The Islamic Republic of Iran expresses regret over the publication of this report, which was prepared with political motives through pressure on the IAEA, and explicitly protests its content. This report exceeds the scope of the Director General’s mandate and conflicts with the professional requirements governing international institutions, including the principle of impartiality.

Repeating baseless allegations, which cannot lend credibility to such claims, along with excessive concern over these matters, merely serves as a pretext for political maneuvering against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Meanwhile, the illegitimate Israeli regime, a non-NPT member with a nuclear arsenal, threatens to attack the peaceful nuclear facilities of an NPT member state. Regrettably, despite its legal obligations and Iran’s repeated requests, the IAEA Director General has taken no action to condemn these threats.

The Islamic Republic of Iran expresses deep regret over the lack of impartiality and the Director General’s disregard for a professional approach, influenced by political pressures in the preparation and publication of this report. Iran warns against any political exploitation of the report’s contents and reaffirms the following:

• Based on the fatwa of the Supreme Leader, nuclear weapons have no place in Iran’s defense doctrine.
• According to fundamental principles of international law, there are no restrictions or limitations on the inherent and inalienable right to utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
• Iran’s enrichment program, solely for peaceful purposes, is fully transparent, under the IAEA’s complete oversight, and in accordance with the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement.
• If politicization and hypocrisy were not the guiding principles of the three European countries and the United States at the IAEA, such an unfair and repetitive report would not have been issued.

In conclusion, it is emphasized that if certain countries intend to exploit Iran’s cooperation and transparent, confidence-building approach in the IAEA’s verification activities or this report during the Board of Governors meeting, the Islamic Republic of Iran will take proportionate measures in response to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, and the consequences and responsibility will lie with those countries.