Iran envoy says new UN resolution will have 'negative impact'

by AFP Staff Writers
Vienna (AFP) Nov 20, 2025

Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency told AFP on Thursday that a new resolution passed by the UN nuclear watchdog would have a "negative impact" on cooperation over the country's nuclear programme.

"This resolution will not add anything to the current situation, will not be helpful, it is counter-productive," ambassador Reza Najafi said after the IAEA board adopted a resolution calling on Iran to provide access and information on its nuclear sites.

"Iran has already started cooperating with the agency despite our challenges and provided access to all undamaged facilities. This resolution will certainly have a negative impact on the cooperation that has already started between Iran and the agency," he added.

Longstanding tensions between Iran and the UN agency were inflamed after a 12-day war in June that saw Israeli and US strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities. Since then, agency inspectors have not been to sensitive sites such as Fordo and Natanz, which were hit in the strikes, but they have been able to visit others.

The new resolution "urges Iran to comply fully and without delay with its legal obligations under... UNSC resolutions and to extend full and prompt cooperation to the IAEA, including by providing such information and access that the agency requests", according to the text.

The resolution was passed by 19 votes to three with 12 abstentions.

Iran says no access to bombed nuclear sites without IAEA deal
Tehran (AFP) Nov 20, 2025 - Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the UN's nuclear watchdog would not be given access to Iranian nuclear sites attacked during its recent war with Israel without a concrete deal being agreed.

"The facilities that were attacked have their own story, and until a decision is made and a conclusion is reached between us, the IAEA and others, cooperation is not possible," he said in an interview posted to his Telegram channel on Thursday, without elaborating on what such an agreement would entail.

The interview with the Khabar Online news agency was conducted before the International Atomic Energy Agency adopted a resolution Thursday demanding access to the sites.

In mid-June, Israel launched an unprecedented bombing campaign against Iran, triggering a 12-day war that the United States briefly joined with strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities.

In the aftermath, Tehran suspended its cooperation with the IAEA and restricted the watchdog's inspectors from accessing the bombed sites, accusing it of bias and failing to condemn the strikes.

"The fact that they came and attacked and left... and now the agency comes to prepare a report for them on where (was attacked) and what happened and how much damage was done is not possible, it is clearly not wise," he added.

In September, Iran and the IAEA agreed on a new cooperation framework, but weeks later Tehran deemed it invalid after Britain, France and Germany triggered the return of UN sanctions that had been lifted under a now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal.

The war derailed high-level nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington that had begun in April, during which the two sides were at odds over Iran's right to enrich uranium, which Tehran defends as "undeniable".

Since the war, Iran has repeatedly said it is open to restarting talks, but only if they take place on "equal footing".

During the interview, Araghchi said the US demands remain "detrimental to our national interests", ruling out any talks on its missile programme or other "defense capabilities".

"Negotiating about missiles, for example, to reduce them, to reduce their range, to reduce their number, there is no greater betrayal than this," he said.

He added talks with European governments were "no longer useful" after they triggered the snapback sanctions.

UN nuclear head renews call for Iran to allow inspections at key sites
Vienna (AFP) Nov 19, 2025 - The head of the UN nuclear agency on Wednesday renewed his call for Iran to allow inspections at key nuclear sites attacked by Israel and the United States in June.

Tensions between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have repeatedly flared in recent years and were further inflamed after a 12-day war in June that saw Israeli and US strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities.

Since the war, agency inspectors have not been granted access to sites such as Fordo and Natanz, which were hit in the strikes, but they have been able to visit other sites.

"We have performed a number of inspections, but we have not been able to go to the attack sites. I hope we will be able. Indeed, we have to go because this is part of Iran's commitments," IAEA head Rafael Grossi told reporters after opening the regular board meeting of the Vienna-based agency.

"I hope we'll be able to move in a constructive manner."

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday evening rejected any cooperation with the IAEA "regarding the bombed sites".

"We only cooperate regarding nuclear facilities that have not been affected, in compliance with IAEA regulations," he stated on Telegram.

Britain, France, Germany and the United States have submitted a draft resolution to the board, seen by AFP on Wednesday, urging Iran to "cooperate fully" with the IAEA.

The draft, which is expected to be voted on by the IAEA board during its meeting this week, stresses that it is "imperative" for Iran to comply with its obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

It also urges Iran to provide "access that the agency requests".

- 'Provocative action' -

In a joint statement seen by AFP, representatives to the board from eight countries including Iran, China and Russia warned on Wednesday against adopting any new resolution that "risks undermining the cooperative momentum and the constructive political atmosphere that have characterised the recent interactions between Iran and the Agency".

Such a decision would be considered a "provocative action", they said.

Iranian officials had warned against adopting an anti-Iran resolution, with deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi saying on Sunday it would force his country to "conduct a fundamental review" of its relations with the agency.

Grossi said on Wednesday it would not be "logical" for a resolution to prompt less cooperation with his agency.

Last week, the IAEA called on Iran to allow it to verify its enriched uranium inventories, especially its sensitive stockpile of highly enriched uranium that was "long overdue", according to a confidential report seen by AFP.

"This is the consensus -- and also being confirmed by the Iranian government -- that the stockpile of enriched uranium is still there, so we need to check on that," Grossi said on Wednesday.

In the aftermath of the June war, Tehran suspended its cooperation with the IAEA and restricted the watchdog's inspectors from accessing the bombed sites, accusing it of bias and failing to condemn the attacks.

Araghchi said Sunday that "no enrichment" was taking place at present because the sites were damaged in the Israel war and that the country had no undeclared uranium enrichment sites.

The assertion came after US media reported that Iran had accelerated construction at a secret underground nuclear site called "Pickaxe Mountain", or Kuh-e Kolang, near its Natanz facility.