Iran will respond to any reckless action at the I.A.E.A. Board: Araqchi

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that Iran reserves the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and warned the Board of Governors of the U.N. nuclear watchdog against adopting an anti-Iran resolution tabled by Western states.

News ID: ۲۰۰۱۴۱۷

11 June 2025

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has warned of an appropriate response if the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.) adopts an anti-Iran resolution drafted by the United States, Britain, France, and Germany, stating that these parties will bear responsibility for the consequences.

Araqchi made the remarks during a phone conversation with Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Tuesday, a day after the I.A.E.A. Board convened its quarterly meeting in Vienna, where Iran’s nuclear program was on the agenda. Ahead of the meeting, the U.S. and the three European countries, known as the E3, tabled a resolution accusing Iran of non-compliance.

The Iranian foreign minister criticized the draft resolution as a misguided and provocative measure taken by the U.S. and the E3 in the midst of indirect nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, warning the Board of Governors against adopting it.

“Any reckless and destructive decision against Iran at the Board of Governors will be met with an appropriate response,” he said, adding, “The parties that politicize the agency and use it as a tool will bear responsibility for the consequences.”

Araqchi reaffirmed the Islamic Republic’s principled stance, which is to safeguard the legal and indisputable rights of the Iranian nation to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, including uranium enrichment.

He further emphasized that Iran's position, rooted in Islamic teachings, prohibits the use of nuclear weapons.

The top Iranian diplomat referred to Tokyo’s moderate positions on foreign policy issues, expressing hope that Japan and other members of the Board of Governors would adopt a constructive stance aimed at fostering dialogue and cooperation.

Takeshi Iwaya welcomed the ongoing talks between Tehran and Washington, which seek to reach a deal on Iran’s nuclear program. He also reaffirmed Iran’s legal right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy./irna