The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency adopted - this evening, Wednesday - by a large majority, a resolution officially criticizing Iran, claiming its lack of cooperation and its failure to provide an explanation for the presence of uranium traces at undeclared sites.

The text of the resolution stated that the Board of Governors, composed of 35 countries, "expresses deep concern" that it is not clear why such effects exist, due to Tehran's lack of sufficient cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The resolution called on Iran to hold further talks with the agency "without delay".

This text presented by the United States and the European Union (Britain, France and Germany) is the first criticism directed at Tehran by the United Nations agency since June 2020, against the backdrop of accelerating Iran's nuclear program and halting negotiations aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement.

And Reuters news agency quoted diplomats that only Russia and China opposed the resolution, while 30 countries voted in favor, and 3 countries abstained, namely Libya, India and Pakistan, during the closed meeting of the Board of Governors in Vienna.

Israel quickly announced its welcome to the IAEA's decision, which it considered "revealing the true face of Iran," according to a statement issued by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office.

The statement stated that the vote is a "clear warning sign for Iran," and added that the main countries should return Iran's file to the Security Council if the latter continues its moves.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that the time has come for the international community to support the integrity and professionalism of the agency and act against Iran by all means, as it put it.


An Iranian response is expected

As for Iran, it condemned the decision and vowed to take the appropriate action to respond to it, stressing that it will not stand helpless in the face of any decisions of this kind.

Iran's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammad Reza Ghaibi, said that the Board of Governors' decision "is a wake-up call that threatens the agency's credibility," and confirms the predominance of political pressures on technical work.

Ghabi expressed his country's condemnation of the decision, and said that it has the right to reconsider its policy towards the agency.

And earlier today, Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said - in statements carried by state television - that his country had informed the European trio, Russia and China that it would not stand helpless in the face of any decision against it by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Abdullahian saw that this decision represents political pressure, but he stressed that Iran will not abandon negotiations, and at the same time will not abandon its red lines.

He said that Tehran will implement a package of measures within hours, within the framework of the parliamentary law to lift sanctions.

The Iranian Foreign Minister indicated that Tehran presented a new package of proposals two days ago in order to open the way for the Vienna negotiations.

Earlier on Wednesday, Iran announced that it would remove two International Atomic Energy Agency surveillance cameras from one of its uranium enrichment facilities, which was read as a preemptive move ahead of the agency's decision.

For its part, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report to member states that it had verified - on the sixth of this June - that Iran had started installing IR-6 centrifuges in one group at an enrichment plant. Underground in the Natanz facility in line with what Tehran announced in advance.

But the agency added that Iran now intends to add two more groups, the installation of which has not yet begun.