Iran Statement at IAEA BoG: Agenda item 7

Statement by the Delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran before the IAEA Board of Governors – Agenda Item 7: “Nuclear Safety Security and Safeguards in Ukraine” (Vienna 10 September 2026)

 

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate and the Most Merciful

 

Mr. Chairman,

Nuclear safety, security, and safeguards are matters of paramount importance. They must be addressed objectively, professionally, and impartially.

Claims must be supported by verifiable information, and conclusions must reflect available technical evidence.

Most importantly, they must remain free from political considerations and geopolitical interests.

Against these principles, the item before us appears to have been placed on the Board’s agenda primarily on geopolitical grounds.

We recognize the potential implications of the conflict in Ukraine for nuclear safety, security, and safeguards.

However, this matter has been repeatedly considered by the Board and the General Conference, and several resolutions have been adopted.

A careful examination of those resolutions demonstrates their lack of substantive technical merit and sound legal basis.

By contrast, the IAEA, including the General Conference and this very Board, remained silent regarding the massive unlawful attacks by the US-Israeli regime against Iran’s peaceful safeguarded nuclear facilities in 2025 and 2026.

Neither the General Conference nor this Board adopted even a simple statement condemning these unlawful attacks that, according to the DG reports, were unprecedented in the Agency’s history.

No authoritative resolution calling for appropriate action was adopted either, despite the fact that the aggressions were material breaches of peremptory norms of international law.

The disparity is difficult to explain on technical grounds. This Board unfortunately continues to operate on political preferences. Even technical tools, procedures and terms are abused to pursue geopolitical interests.

Let there be no misunderstanding. We do not oppose consideration of nuclear safety, security, or safeguards-related issues. We oppose their selective and discriminatory treatment, and urge this Board to end the politicization of Agency’s work.

Ukraine is aligned with the Western bloc, then everything must be done even when the realities do not necessarily warrant it.

And Iran pursues an independent foreign policy, then nothing must be done even if every and all legal, factual and technical realities warrant it.

More importantly, the attacks against Iran’s nuclear facilities were carried out by the US that threatened to cut the budget of the Agency if any decision would be adopted.

How can the Agency justify such a profound disparity in addressing these two cases?

How can Western States claim that their actions here are not sheer hypocrisy?

I thank you, Mr. Chairman.