Board of Governors International Atomic Energy Agency - EU Statement on Agenda item 6 (d): NPT Safeguards Agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran

Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The following countries align themselves with this statement: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine.

The European Union thanks the Director General for his reports and DDG Aparo for the technical briefing. We reiterate our full support for the Agency’s professional, independent and impartial work and commend its continuous monitoring of the situation.

The EU is gravely concerned by Iran’s complete suspension of its cooperation with the IAEA and its continued refusal to engage with the Agency in seeking to address its non-compliance and facilitate the full and effective implementation of safeguards. As clearly indicated by the DG, Iran’s implementation of its Safeguards Agreement cannot be suspended under any circumstances. It is critical and urgent that Iran provides the IAEA with updated verifiable declarations about the quantity and whereabouts of nuclear material and related activities and allows inspections to resume in all its nuclear facilities, as required by its NPT Safeguards Agreement and relevant UNSC Resolutions. As clearly indicated by the Agency, there is no technical reason preventing IAEA inspectors returning to all nuclear facilities, and the Agency is fully prepared to resume its safeguards activities in Iran at short notice. It is therefore deeply regrettable that during the reporting period the Agency could not conduct any inspections in Iran because Iran has not provided the requested access. 

In June 2025, Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60% comprised 440 kg. The Director General has since reported that the IAEA has lost continuity of knowledge in relation to the previously declared inventories of nuclear material in Iran and its enrichment capacities, including the large stockpile of low and highly enriched uranium. As stressed in the DG’s report, the Agency’s lack of information about this nuclear material and access to facilities to verify it is a matter of proliferation concern and of compliance with the NPT Safeguards Agreement. Iran must urgently address this to allay concerns regarding the possible diversion of declared nuclear material from peaceful uses. Let us be clear - there is no credible civilian justification for producing and accumulating such a quantity of HEU.

The reinstatement of six UNSC resolutions, including financial and nuclear restrictions, as a result of snapback, and as approved by the UNSC last September, requires Iran, inter alia, to suspend all its activities related to uranium enrichment, and to discontinue the construction of related facilities. We deplore that Iran has not allowed the Agency to verify these obligations, and call all UN member States to fully implement the restrictive measures under the reinstated UNSC resolutions.

We further call upon Iran to fully implement modified Code 3.1, which cannot unilaterally be suspended, to reapply the Additional Protocol and to ratify it, and to take urgent steps to return to full compliance with its legal obligations under the NPT and Iran’s NPT Safeguards Agreement. This is indispensable to address in a credible and transparent manner the international community’s serious doubts about the asserted exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear programme. 

Chair,

Taking the above steps by Iran is both critical and urgent. The EU therefore supports the draft resolution tabled by the US and E3 and calls on all Board members to do likewise. This resolution requests the DG to report Iran’s non-compliance to the UNSC, thereby completing a procedural step that is required under the IAEA Statute and crucial to uphold the Board’s credibility.

The EU reiterates its full support to the IAEA and the Director General in their critical work to uphold the implementation of safeguards, nuclear safety and security in Iran and to pursue clarity on Iran’s nuclear programme. We urge Iran to facilitate the full and effective implementation of verification activities by the Agency and to engage with the Agency in clarifying, without any further delay, the unresolved safeguards issues in accordance with its NPT Safeguards Agreement.

The EU and its Member States remain committed to finding a lasting diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, which remains a key threat to European, as well as regional and international security. We commend regional partners for their mediation efforts. It is crucial that all actors comply with international law, including the principles of the UN Charter, and international humanitarian law, implement UNSC Resolution 2817, and refrain from actions that endanger the prospect of a negotiated solution. The EU has always been clear that Iran must never be allowed to develop or acquire a nuclear weapon. The EU, including through the efforts of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, is ready to support the negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme. We echo the DG’s readiness – through the Agency’s verification and monitoring capability – to support an eventual agreement.

We look forward to continued regular reporting from the Director General. With this, the EU takes note of the report under this agenda item and requests that it be made public. 

Thank you, Chair.