US will 'take action' if Iran does not cooperate with IAEA

At the IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Washington once again called on Tehran to cooperate with the agency's inspections in an effort to seek information and explanations about "traces of uranium" found at undeclared locations in Iran.

In a statement sent to the meeting, the US stated that it was time for the country and other countries to reconsider their course of action when Iran continued to hinder IAEA inspection activities.

In November 2022, the IAEA passed a resolution demanding Iran to cooperate urgently with the agency in its investigation into the presence of uranium at two sites in Iran that the agency said were “undeclared.” At this meeting, the US and Western countries including the UK, France and Germany did not seek a similar resolution. Instead, the US issued a statement emphasizing that it would take action if Iran did not soon take the necessary cooperative actions.

Tehran, for its part, condemned the 2022 resolution, calling it a political and unconstructive move. Iran has always maintained that it is completely transparent on nuclear issues, saying that its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes and in accordance with international rules and regulations on nuclear safety under the agreement with the IAEA.