LOC12:24
09:24 GMT
VIENNA, June 12 (KUNA) - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors adopted on Thursday a resolution accusing Iran of breaching its non-proliferation obligations.
The draft resolution was supported by a majority of 19 countries, while 11 countries abstained and 3 others objected.
The new resolution accuses Iran of "non-compliance" with its nuclear safeguards agreement under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, stating that Tehran has failed, despite numerous opportunities, to fully cooperate with the agency, particularly since it has not provided credible technical explanations for the presence of uranium particles at undeclared sites.
The resolution also noted that Iran had carried out extensive clean-up operations at these sites, which hampered the efforts of inspectors and raised serious suspicions about the existence of non-peaceful nuclear activities.
The resolution affirmed that the IAEA was no longer able to verify the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, and this issue now fell under the jurisdiction of the UN Security Council, calling on Iran to take immediate steps, including disclosing the locations of contaminated equipment and materials and allowing inspectors access without delay.
The decision comes after Oman confirmed earlier Thursday that Muscat will host the next round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran next Sunday. (end)
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