Atomic watchdog reports Iran to UN Security Council over nuclear suspicions

The board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, reported Iran to the UN Security Council Wednesday, citing the Islamic republic’s failure to cooperate with the agency’s investigation and provide access and information needed to measure its nuclear activities.

When did this last happen? This is the first time in 20 years the IAEA board has taken this step against Iran. Twenty-three countries on the IAEA’s 35-member board of governors voted for the resolution at IAEA headquarters in Vienna.

Under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran is legally bound to declare all nuclear material and activities and allow inspectors of the Vienna-based IAEA to verify that none of it is being diverted from peaceful uses.

How has Iran failed to comply, according to the IAEA? Since Israel and the U.S. struck Iran’s nuclear sites in June 2025, Iran hasn’t given IAEA inspectors access to nuclear sites that were affected by the strikes. The agency also has been unable to verify the status of the stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium since the June bombing. The resolution says the lack of information and access creates what it characterizes as a proliferation concern because the IAEA cannot fully verify what Iran is doing with its nuclear materials.

Has Iran responded? Reza Najafi, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, on Wednesday described the IAEA’s decision to refer Iran to the UN Security Council over its nuclear non-compliance as politically motivated. He said that Tehran would decide how to respond to the resolution, in an interview with Iranian state-run media outlet Press TV.