TEHRAN - The Iranian Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) issued a joint statement on Thursday stating that the Islamic Republic will launch a new enrichment facility in a “highly secure” place in response to the adoption of a "political" resolution against Iran by the Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency accusing Iran of “non-compliance” with its nuclear commitments.

These moves will increase Iran’s stockpile of uranium enrichment to a great extent, the statement added.
  
The resolution, drafted by Britain, France and Germany and backed by the U.S., was passed on Thursday with 19 votes in favor, three against, and 11 abstentions. Russia, China, and Burkina Faso voted against it. Among the countries that abstained were South Africa, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, and Brazil.

Before the adoption of the resolution, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on Monday delivered a strongly-worded statement regarding Iran's nuclear program.

"While we view the IAEA report as politically motivated and biased, these four countries — the European trio and the U.S.— have gone beyond it by drafting a resolution that contradicts the main contents of the director general's political report."

"As we have announced before, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no choice but to respond to this political resolution,” the joint statement said.

According to the statement, the necessary orders has been issued by Iran's nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami for building the new enrichment site in a secure place and replacing the first-generation centrifuges with the advanced sixth generations at the Shahid Doctor Ali-Mohammadi center in Fordo. It said, “Other measures are also being ironed out.”

The Western nations have initiated a new challenge by proposing a resolution against Iran, which was put to a vote at the IAEA board on Thursday.  Iran’s decisive response to the politically motivated resolution, which may be the beginning of new standoff between Iran and the West, sends the message that Iran will not yield to pressure.  

“Major strategic mistake”

On Iran’s new moves against the censure resolution, Iranian deputy nuclear chief Behrouz Kamalvandi said, “One of these actions is the establishment of the third secure enrichment site, which is the third enrichment complex in the country and is very highly secure, making it ‘strategically’ significant,” suggesting that it will be impervious to a possible military attack.

It is not the first time that the IAEA board adopts resolutions against Iran.

“We have witnessed such actions many times before. We have always warned that this approach will not yield any results for them,” Kamalvandi pointed out.

The deputy nuclear chief added, “Unfortunately, they (the West) believe that various pressures, including economic sanctions and political pressure, can force Iran to retreat from its legitimate positions. This is a ‘major strategic mistake’ that has been tested many times and has yielded no results. We have previously warned that if a confrontational approach is adopted, we will adjust our actions accordingly.”

‘We will not submit to bullying’

Speaking to a gathering people in the western province of Ilam on Thursday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States and European countries are trying to impose maximum pressure on Iran with the belief that they “can prevent our progress”.

But, Pezeshkian added, “We are relying on God, not the U.S. We do not intend to go to war with the world; we want to engage in dialogue with the world, but we will not submit to bullying and coercion.”