Iran, Russia and China, in a joint statement at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, described the draft resolution proposed by the United States and three European countries—Germany, France and the United Kingdom—to refer Iran’s nuclear issue to the UN Security Council as legally groundless and inconsistent with their professed commitment to diplomacy, and called on IAEA member states not to support the anti-Iran draft resolution.
Tehran-Iran View24
According to Iran View24, the three countries stressed in the joint statement on Wednesday: “The purported referral to the United Nations Security Council has no legal basis, is aimed at escalating the situation, and is inconsistent with the stated commitment of the sponsors of the draft to diplomacy. We therefore encourage all responsible Member States to carefully consider its implications and refrain from supporting the draft resolution.”
Iran, Russia and China stressed that, regardless of its procedural and substantive shortcomings, the draft resolution submitted makes no explicit reference even to the attacks that were the primary cause and fundamental factor behind the emergence of the current situation.
The statement said: “The finding of Iran’s alleged non-compliance with its safeguards obligations in June 2025 was politically motivated and unfounded. This action also paved the way for attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards and became the root cause of subsequent difficulties in the implementation of safeguards in Iran.”
The three countries added: “The new draft resolution is yet another attempt by its sponsors to exert further pressure on Iran and undermine cooperation between Iran and the IAEA.”
Elsewhere in the statement, Iran, Russia and China, stressing the termination of all provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 on October 18, 2025, described the efforts by the three European countries to activate the so-called “snapback” mechanism as null and void and without legal effect.
The three countries stated that, accordingly, the request for the IAEA Director General to report on the implementation of those resolutions has no legal basis and carries the risk of politicizing an issue that should fundamentally remain technical.
The statement strongly condemned repeated attacks against Iran’s nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards, as well as the continued threats of aggression, stressing: “These actions have created an unprecedented situation in the history of the IAEA and target the foundations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).”
Iran, Russia and China also referred to the continuation of US attacks against Iran, including in recent days, and said that the prevailing security conditions have effectively made the normal implementation of IAEA safeguards in Iran impossible. They added that this reality has also been acknowledged in the IAEA Director General’s recent reports.
The three countries, stressing Iran’s continued cooperation with the IAEA under these exceptional circumstances, described Tehran’s positive response to requests for access to the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in mid-September 2026 as a sign of Iran’s commitment to constructive, good-faith engagement, adding: “Effective assurances, particularly guarantees that such actions will not be repeated, are essential for the further development of Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA.”
The statement also reaffirmed Iran’s longstanding commitment to non-proliferation as a party to the NPT and stressed the need for the full and effective realization of the inalienable right of states to research, produce and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Iran, Russia and China concluded by stressing: “A lasting solution to the current situation can only be achieved through the immediate and permanent cessation of all attacks, the removal of the threat of further aggression, and acceptance of the principle that all legitimate questions concerning Iran’s nuclear program must be addressed exclusively through dialogue and diplomacy, as the only viable path forward.”
