Russia, China and Iran Reject IAEA Draft Resolution as “Illegal”

By Staff, Agencies

Russia, China, and Iran have jointly rejected a draft resolution before the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors that seeks to refer Iran’s nuclear file to the United Nations Security Council over alleged non-compliance with the Agency’s regulations.

In a joint statement published by Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, the three countries described the draft resolution, submitted by the United States, Britain, France, and Germany, as “not relevant” and lacking any legal foundation.

The statement argued that invoking the so-called “snapback” mechanism under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is legally invalid because the relevant UN Security Council resolution endorsing the agreement expired on October 18, 2025.

According to the statement, the proposed resolution represents “yet another attempt” by its sponsors to increase political pressure on Iran and undermine cooperation between Tehran and the IAEA.

It added that any referral of Iran’s case to the Security Council would only escalate tensions and contradict the co-authors’ declared commitment to diplomacy.

The three countries also stressed that Iran has continued to cooperate with the IAEA despite what they described as the extraordinary conditions created by the ongoing US war of aggression against the country.

They said continued military attacks have made effective safeguards inspections at Iranian nuclear facilities “impossible,” while maintaining that Tehran has acted in good faith and remained committed to constructive engagement with the Agency.

The joint statement further criticized the draft for failing to acknowledge what it called the root cause of the current crisis: military attacks on Iran’s safeguarded nuclear facilities.

It noted that the resolution makes no explicit reference to those strikes despite their central role in disrupting the Agency’s verification activities.

Concluding the statement, Russia, China, and Iran emphasized that the only viable path to resolving disputes over Iran’s nuclear program is through dialogue and diplomacy, beginning with an end to military attacks and threats against the Islamic Republic.