Statement by Eleven Countries at Board of Governors Meeting Regarding Israeli Attack on Iran
Eleven countries at the Board of Governors meeting, through issuance of a joint statement, condemned the Israeli attack on Iran.
Eleven member countries of the IAEA Board of Governors, while condemning the Israeli military attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, described it as a flagrant violation of international law and called for immediate action by the Agency and the Security Council to prevent the recurrence of these aggressive attacks.
In this statement released hours ago at an extraordinary meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, it was written: “We condemn the aggression of the Israeli regime against Iran, including military attacks on nuclear facilities under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, the UN Charter and the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
We firmly believe that these military attacks, in addition to threatening international peace and security, undermine confidence in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), constitute a blatant disregard for the IAEA safeguards system, and endanger the further development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.”
The signatory countries to this statement, citing resolutions of the IAEA General Conference, emphasized: “Any armed attack and threat against nuclear facilities designated for peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the principles of the UN Charter, international law and the IAEA Statute.”
The aforementioned countries, while recalling that Iran is a non-nuclear-weapon state party to the NPT and that the nuclear facilities targeted are under the safeguards agreement of the IAEA, added: “We recall Iran’s long-standing and firm commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and are deeply concerned about the widespread consequences of such military attacks on nuclear facilities under safeguards.”
The signatories of this statement, in addition to demanding that the Israeli regime cease its attacks against Iran, also requested the Board of Governors, the Secretariat and the Director General of the Agency to take necessary measures to prevent the continuation of the attacks.
At the end of this statement, it was emphasized: “We request the Director General to immediately report to the Board of Governors on all consequences of the Israeli attacks on nuclear sites and facilities under Agency safeguards in Iran and to report any further acts of aggression or threats thereof to the UN Security Council.”
The statement was issued by the Russian Federation, China, Pakistan, Iraq, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cuba, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
