IAEA chief says resolution on Iran’s non-compliance unrelated to US-Iran talks

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Monday that there is no connection between a proposed resolution by the United States and three European powers on Iran’s nuclear non-compliance and recent indirect talks between Tehran and Washington.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the IAEA’s Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, Rafael Grossi, emphasized that the draft resolution—put forward by the US, France, Germany, and the UK—should be viewed as part of the agency’s regular oversight responsibilities, not as a political tool tied to broader diplomatic efforts.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi holds a news conference after the first day of the agency's quarterly Board of Governors meeting at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 9, 2025.

The resolution, if adopted, would increase pressure on Tehran just months before key provisions of the 2015 agreement—known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—expire.

Iran has warned of retaliation, saying any new censure could disrupt already fragile diplomatic channels.

Grossi also said that that while uranium enrichment is not prohibited under international law, Iran’s continued accumulation of highly enriched uranium at near weapons-grade levels cannot be ignored.

“Uranium enrichment per se is not a forbidden activity, which is something my Iranian counterparts always tell,” he said.

“At the same time, when you accumulate and continue to accumulate, and you are the only country in the world that is doing something like this at a level which is very, very close to the level that you need to have a nuclear explosive device, then we cannot ignore it,” he added.