TEHRAN- The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday adopted a resolution concerning Iran by 21 votes in favor, three against, and 10 abstentions, in a move Tehran and its allies described as politically motivated and detrimental to ongoing diplomatic efforts.

The resolution calls on the Islamic Republic of Iran to provide the IAEA with information regarding the status of nuclear facilities targeted in recent military attacks and the whereabouts of enriched uranium previously stored at those sites.

Iranian officials sharply criticized the measure, arguing that it fails to address 'the root cause of the current situation,' the recent US and Israeli attacks on Iran’s safeguarded nuclear facilities. Tehran maintains that the resolution ignores 'a clear violation of international law' while focusing solely on the consequences of those attacks.

According to a source cited by Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency, Russia, China and Niger voted against the resolution, while a number of other member states abstained.

Ahead of the vote, Iran, China and Russia issued a joint statement at the IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, rejecting the Western-backed draft resolution and warning against 'the politicization of the agency.'

The three countries emphasized that issues related to Iran’s safeguards obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) should not be linked to provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which expired on October 18, 2025. They also argued that efforts by the European troika—Britain, France and Germany—to invoke the so-called “snapback mechanism” lack legal validity and would carry no legal consequences.

The joint statement further criticized recent reports by the IAEA Director General as political in nature and warned that such approaches could undermine efforts to achieve a comprehensive and negotiated solution to Iran’s nuclear file.

Reaffirming Iran’s rights under the NPT, the three countries stressed that all member states have an inalienable right to research, produce and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination.

They also condemned repeated attacks against Iran’s safeguarded nuclear facilities, saying such actions have created an unprecedented challenge for the global non-proliferation regime and weakened the authority of international nuclear safeguards.

The statement warned that adopting a politically driven resolution under current circumstances could damage cooperation between Iran and the IAEA and further complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving outstanding issues.

Prior to the vote, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a letter to the foreign ministers of countries represented on the IAEA Board of Governors, urging them not to allow the UN nuclear watchdog to become a political instrument in the hands of the United States.

In the letter, Araghchi described the US-sponsored resolution as politically motivated and lacking good faith, arguing that Washington bears responsibility for the current escalation surrounding Iran’s nuclear program.

The Iranian foreign minister recalled that a previous IAEA Board resolution adopted in June 2025 was followed less than 24 hours later by US and Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, resulting in casualties and extensive damage. He questioned whether the agency was once again being used to provide political cover for hostile actions against Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.

Araghchi also highlighted a series of attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists and their family members since 2025, calling the developments unprecedented in the history of the IAEA.

According to the Iranian foreign minister, such actions have had far-reaching consequences for international law, global peace and security, the nuclear non-proliferation regime, and the credibility of the agency itself.

He warned that the decisions taken by members of the Board of Governors would affect not only Iran’s nuclear case but also the future independence and credibility of the IAEA and the broader Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty framework.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi wrote in response to the Board of Governors' action on X: “The move by the United States and three European Union countries at the IAEA, namely Britain, France, and Germany, is a 'dangerous attempt' to whitewash accountability for aggressors and criminals.”

“It has been documented by the IAEA that attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran’s nuclear facilities halted the agency’s verification activities and made its inspectors leave the country for security reasons,” the Iranian diplomat said.

Now, Gharibabadi said, the United States seeks to turn the consequences of its own illegal attacks into a case against the Islamic Republic.

“This is an inversion of accountability. They strike safeguarded facilities, disrupt the verification procedures, and jeopardize nuclear security, and then they exploit the Board of Governors to pressure Iran.”

Gharibabadi advised the Board of Governors to refrain from imposing the costs of aggression on the targeted country.

“Drafting resolutions will not strengthen the IAEA Safeguards. Rather, condemnation of aggression against safeguarded facilities, respect for the rights of the member states, holding the aggressors to account, and putting the agency back on its technical and impartial capacity will,” the Iranian deputy foreign minister stated.