Iran elected Vice President of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna

On Monday, while presenting the list of candidates for the bureau, the President of the IAEA General Conference read out the name of the Islamic Republic of Iran alongside Argentina, France, Côte d’Ivoire, Mongolia, New Zealand, Poland, and the United States as Vice Presidents of the Conference.

In reaction to Iran’s election, the U.S. representative expressed dissatisfaction with Iran’s nomination by the Middle East and South Asia (MESA) group, repeating political allegations about Iran’s peaceful nuclear program and claiming that Iran has not fully complied with its safeguard’s obligations, describing such a position for Iran as “inappropriate.”

Reza Najafi, Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the international organizations in Vienna, responding to these remarks, thanked the majority of member states and the MESA group for their confidence in Iran, saying: “This decision was made on the basis of a well-established and recognized procedure, and all parties must respect the choices of regional groups.” Rejecting the U.S. political accusations, he added: “Decisions here are made by majority vote, and no single country can obstruct them.”

Najafi also referred to the recent political resolution of the IAEA Board of Governors against Iran, stressing that the document has no legal basis and was adopted only with a fragile majority. He underlined that such conduct should not overshadow the established procedures of the Conference.

The 69th General Conference of the IAEA opened this morning (Monday) at the Agency’s headquarters in Vienna, with the participation of high-ranking representatives of member states. The session, which will continue until Friday, September 19, 2025, is one of the Agency’s most important annual events, during which ambassadors, delegates, and senior officials of member states will discuss a wide range of issues related to the Agency’s activities and budget.