Iran announced the construction of a new uranium enrichment facility and activation of advanced centrifuges Thursday, hours after the United Nations' nuclear watchdog formally found the country in violation of its non-proliferation obligations. The decision by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board marks the first formal non-compliance finding against Tehran in two decades and could push the standoff closer to the United Nations Security Council.
The IAEA resolution, backed by 19 of the 35 board members including the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany, cited Iran's failure to cooperate on questions about undeclared nuclear material found at multiple sites. Russia, China, and Burkina Faso voted against the resolution, while 11 countries abstained and two did not vote.
Responding to the censure, the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran issued a joint statement pledging that Iran "has no choice but to respond to this political resolution." Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for Iran's nuclear agency, told Iranian state television that Tehran had already informed the IAEA of "specific and effective" measures being implemented, including the launch of a "third secure site" for uranium enrichment and the deployment of advanced centrifuges at Fordo.
"The implication of this is that our production of enriched materials will significantly increase," Kamalvandi said. He declined to provide the location of the new facility, though Iran has been expanding underground tunnels near Natanz since Israeli sabotage efforts targeted the site in recent years.
The IAEA resolution states that Iran's continued non-compliance "constitutes non-compliance with its obligations under its Safeguards Agreement," a legal requirement under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The agency further warned that it could not provide assurance that Iran's nuclear program is "exclusively peaceful," prompting speculation that the issue may be referred to the UN Security Council later this year.
Western diplomats said the resolution does not shut the door on diplomacy. "We're not closing the door to diplomacy on this issue," a senior Western official said last week. "But if Iran fails to cooperate, another resolution referring the matter to the Security Council is likely this summer."
Tehran condemned the Western powers for tabling the motion, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warning: "Mark my words, as Europe ponders another major strategic mistake: Iran will react strongly against any violation of its rights." Another Iranian official told CNN that Iran's retaliation would include "activating advanced and new-generation centrifuges, and removing monitoring cameras from the Isfahan facility."
The resolution followed a May 31 IAEA report citing Iran's failure to answer longstanding questions about uranium particles detected at undeclared sites. One of the sites was publicly identified by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a 2018 speech at the United Nations. The IAEA confirmed uranium traces there and at two additional locations.
Tensions are rising beyond the negotiating table. On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department ordered the drawdown of non-essential diplomatic personnel across the Middle East. A U.S. official said Central Command was "monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East." The U.S. embassy in Jerusalem issued a travel restriction Thursday barring staff from leaving Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, or Be'er Sheva.
President Donald Trump, who has long warned of the consequences of a nuclear-armed Iran, told the New York Post podcast on Wednesday: "I'm getting more and more less confident about it. They seem to be delaying, and I think that's a shame."
The U.S. and Iran are scheduled to hold indirect nuclear negotiations in Muscat, Oman, on Sunday.
