IRAN: IAEA Pass Resolution Declaring Iran Non Compliant, Awaits Tehran Response

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s Board of Governors has passed a resolution declaring Iran in non-compliance with its nuclear safeguarding requirements. This is the first time since 2005 that such a resolution has been passed. In the event, 19 countries voted in favour of the resolution, with three (Burkina Faso, China, and Russia) voting against and 11 abstentions.

• On 11 June, Iran's envoy to the IAEA Reza Najafi said to AFP that Tehran would show a “very severe reaction” if the resolution passed. The resolution now goes to the UN Security Council, where it may adopt further sanctions. Najafi: “If such a scenario unfolds, Iran’s options will be firm, and the United States and the E3 will bear full responsibility.”
• Speaking to CNN earlier, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said that “the Iran of 10 years ago has nothing, nothing to do with the Iran we see now....At that time the technologies they had was more primitive, they had much less material, less places they were doing enrichment. Now the program has grown."
• The IAEA resolution comes at a time of already-heightened regional tensions (see 'IRAN: RTRS-Official Claims 'Friendly' Country Warns Of Possible Israeli Attack', 08:42BST). Should Tehran respond by cancelling this Sunday's round of talks with the US, or pulling its future cooperation with the IAEA it could risk Israel launching a unilateral attack on Iran's nuclear sites (with a breakdown in US-Iran talks seen by the Israeli gov't as the threshold for launching strikes).