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Chair,

France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States commend the Agency for its continued efforts to engage Iran to clarify the outstanding issues related to the implementation of Iran鈥檚 NPT-required Safeguards Agreement. 聽We thank the Director General for his report on these issues, which are critical to understanding the nature of Iran鈥檚 nuclear programme.

We deeply regret that, for more than five years, Iran has refused to provide required clarifications regarding nuclear material detected at multiple undeclared locations in Iran. The Director General and the Board have made clear repeatedly that Iran is legally required to provide this cooperation. 聽Iran has failed to do so despite the concerted efforts of the Director General and this Board to provide Iran every opportunity. 聽As a result of Iran鈥檚 longstanding denials, the Agency is still unable to provide critical assurances that Iran鈥檚 nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful and that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran. 聽These issues are fundamental to Iran鈥檚 safeguards obligations and the broader non-proliferation regime. 聽No State can be allowed to violate its safeguards obligations with impunity.聽 Iran must fully cooperate, or the Board must be prepared to find Iran in noncompliance.聽 Until now, Iran has made its choice. 聽Let us be clear: unless Iran changes course, it will force the Board to make its own choice. 聽Time is not on Iran鈥檚 side.

This report recalls the IAEA鈥檚 assessment of some of the deeply concerning activities that Iran did not declare, at Turquzabad, Varamin, Marivan and Lavisan-Shian. 聽It is of significant concern that due to the lack of information being provided by Iran, the IAEA concluded it would be unable to continue its efforts to resolve the safeguards issues at Lavisan-Shian. 聽We note that the IAEA鈥檚 technical assessment of the activities at Marivan has not changed, that Iran has not provided technically credible information, and therefore the issue remains unresolved. 聽We also want to highlight the lack of progress towards resolving the discrepancy issue at Jaber Ibn Hayan Laboratory, which still has to be explained by Iran. 聽Iran continues to reject and challenge the IAEA鈥檚 technical assessment of the activities at these undeclared sites rather than engaging the IAEA constructively towards resolving the outstanding issues. 聽We reiterate our support for the IAEA鈥檚 critical work. 聽We underscore the value of the IAEA鈥檚 technical expertise and authority to investigate these issues to address concerns around the possibility of undeclared nuclear material and activity in Iran today. 聽

Chair,

In his latest report, the Director General reiterates that Iran continues to refuse to provide design information for new nuclear facilities as legally required under modified Code 3.1. 聽This is in contravention of Iran鈥檚 safeguards agreement.聽 Iran鈥檚 unwillingness to provide the Agency with this information should be especially concerning given Iran鈥檚 history of building covert nuclear facilities. 聽We also note that Iran has refused to accept the designation of four additional experienced inspectors. 聽We recall the Director General鈥檚 statement that Iran鈥檚 previous decision to withdraw the designations of inspectors seriously affects the Agency鈥檚 ability to conduct its verification activities in Iran. 聽We echo his deep regret that Iran did not accept these new designations.

Iran鈥檚 refusal to cooperate with the IAEA and its refusal to abide by its obligations under its safeguards agreement is deeply concerning in the context of Iran鈥檚 continuous escalation of its nuclear programme to levels with no credible civilian justification. 聽Our concern is intensified by the increasing number of senior Iranian officials who have publicly claimed that Iran has the technical capability to build a nuclear weapon and called for a change to Iran鈥檚 so-called 鈥渘uclear doctrine鈥�. 聽We recall that the Director General assessed in his report in May 2024 that such remarks increased his concerns about the correctness and completeness of Iran鈥檚 safeguards declarations.

We commend the Agency鈥檚 efforts to engage Iran to seek progress. 聽However, after years of delay, Iran must finally and fully meet its commitments and obligations rather than dangle promises of discussions in the future which we have heard many times before.

Chair,

It is important that the Board supports the IAEA by the strongest means necessary to pursue clarity on the nature of Iran鈥檚 nuclear programme. 聽The Board adopted two resolutions in 2024, which once again urged Iran to cooperate. 聽Iran ignored these, as it has ignored opportunities in previous years. 聽We reiterate our call on Iran to resume urgently full cooperation with the IAEA and to implement fully its safeguards agreement. 聽

We recall that this Board, in its last resolution of November 2024, mandated the Director General to produce a comprehensive and updated assessment of the possible presence or use of undeclared nuclear material in Iran in connection with past and present outstanding issues. 聽This document will provide a clear, technical and objective foundation to assess Iran鈥檚 compliance with its safeguards agreement. 聽As the resolution sets out, it will include the Agency鈥檚 assessment of its ability to verify the implementation of Iran鈥檚 safeguards obligations and the non-diversion of nuclear material. 聽The assessment will also include a full account of Iran鈥檚 cooperation with the Agency on the issues to date.

It is up to Iran to provide the technically credible explanations and substantive cooperation needed to inform the Agency. 聽We regret that despite having the time and opportunity to do so, Iran has not made any progress in the four months since this resolution was adopted. 聽In recognition of the Director General鈥檚 last report, which states that 鈥渢he Agency is at an impasse鈥� with regard to resolving these issues, we believe the comprehensive assessment should be delivered as soon as possible. 聽It should be based on all information available to the Agency to provide the full picture, in order to inform the Board鈥檚 next steps on these issues. 聽Iran has had many opportunities to resolve the issues.

Chair,

Our patience has been long, but it is not unlimited.聽 We underscore, if there is no concrete, technically credible progress reported by the Director General, the Board must be prepared to consider finding Iran in non-compliance with its safeguards agreement.

We do not take such a course lightly.聽 We reiterate that our efforts are intended to provide resolute support to the Agency in its safeguards investigations in Iran, for the sake of international security and the integrity of the global non-proliferation architecture.

More than ever, there is an urgent need to address the lack of transparency and assurances on the nature of Iran鈥檚 advancing nuclear programme. 聽Iran鈥檚 full cooperation with the IAEA on its safeguards obligations is long overdue. 聽Iran has had many chances over many years to cooperate, but Iran has instead chosen a path of escalation, obfuscation, and delay. 聽Iran must be held to account if it continues along this path. 聽

We again express our thanks for the IAEA鈥檚 continued efforts and ask for the report to be made public.

Thank you, Chair.