The resolution, drafted by the United States and its three European allies, the UK, Germany, and France, was adopted on Wednesday after 30 out of 35 members of the Board of Governors voted in favor.
Russia and China voted against the measure, while India, Libya, and Pakistan abstained.
Deputy Permanent Representative of Iran to Vienna-based international organizations Mohammad Reza Ghaebi addressed the Board of Governors after the resolution was adopted.
He said that given the extensive cooperation Iran has had with the IAEA, it will be meaningless and disappointing to expect the country to have cooperation with the Agency by accepting the newly-passed resolution.
This resolution has raised the alarm over the IAEA’s credit and integrity in its safeguards and non-proliferation regime. It shows that honest and extensive cooperation with the Agency is weakened in the face of pressure and political wills of certain countries, Ghaebi said.
This is a heavy blow to the IAEA, which has been dealt by one of its most important decision-making bodies, the Board of Governors, he added.
The Iranian diplomat noted that the resolution will neither encourage Iran to increase its cooperation with the Agency beyond the current level nor will it force the country into backing down on its basic principles.
Iran will give a proportionate response that will make those pushing and backing the resolution face the consequences, he said, noting that the country has the right to review its approach toward the IAEA, now that it has received an unfair and politically-motivated behavior despite its exemplary cooperation with the agency.
In remarks made prior to the adoption of the resolution, the Iranian envoy addressed the Board of Governors too.
He said that Iran has been subject to the most intensive inspections by the IAEA over the past 20 years, with the country making up for 22% of the entire inspections by the Agency in the world in 2021 alone.
Ghaebi also said that the allegations made in the resolution over undeclared nuclear sites in Iran are based on information fabricated by the Zionist regime.
The exaggeration made in the recent IAEA report as well as attempts to create an unnecessary catastrophe will backfire at the time when Iran has main concerns over the report and the director-general has announced his readiness to continue negotiations, he said.
Iran expresses regret that the supporters of the resolution have taken a path that has nothing to do with technical field data and only results from a biased, non-professional, and political agenda, the Iranian envoy said.
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