IAEA Director General Statement to UNSC on Situation in Iran

The nuclear non-proliferation regime that has underpinned international security for more than half a century is on the line.

The dramatic events in Iran have become even more serious with last night’s bombardments and the potential widening of the conflict.

We have a window of opportunity to return to dialogue and diplomacy. If that window closes, violence and destruction could reach unthinkable levels and the global non-proliferation regime as we know it could crumble and fall.

Iran, Israel, the Middle East, need peace and there is a path for diplomacy.

We must return to the negotiating table and allow the IAEA inspectors, the guardians of the NPT, to go back to Iran’s nuclear sites and account for the stockpiles of uranium, including, most importantly, the 400kg enriched to 60%.

Any agreement, any arrangement will have as a pre-requisite the establishment of the facts on the ground. This can be done only through IAEA inspections.

IAEA inspectors are in Iran, and they must do their job. This will require a cessation of hostilities so that Iran can let the teams into the sites under the necessary safety and security conditions.

Any special measures by Iran to protect its nuclear materials and equipment can be done in accordance with Iran’s safeguards obligations and the Agency. This is possible.

Madame President,

Based on information available to the IAEA, let me update you on what has occurred at Iran’s nuclear sites since I last addressed this Council two days ago.

Craters are visible at the Fordow site, Iran’s main location for enriching uranium to 60%, indicating the use by the United States of America of ground-penetrating munitions. This is consistent with statements from the US. At this time, no one – including the IAEA – is in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordow.

At the Esfahan nuclear site, additional buildings were hit overnight, with the US confirming their use of cruise missiles. Affected buildings include some related to the uranium conversion process. Also at this site, entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material appear to have been hit.

At the Natanz enrichment site, the Fuel Enrichment Plant has been hit again, with the US confirming that it used ground-penetrating munitions.

Iran has informed the IAEA there has been no increase in off-site radiation levels at all three sites.

The situation at the other sites remains as I described to the Council two days ago.

We continue to monitor the situation and encourage the Iranian regulator to maintain its indispensable contact with the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre.

Madame President,

The IAEA has consistently underlined, as stated in its General Conference resolution, that armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked.

I therefore again call on maximum restraint. Military escalation threatens lives and delays a diplomatic solution for the long-term assurance that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon. It also threatens the global non-proliferation regime.

As I stated two days ago, I am ready to travel immediately and to engage with all relevant parties to help ensure the protection of nuclear facilities and the continued peaceful use of nuclear technology in accordance with the Agency mandate. With your support, the IAEA can deploy nuclear safety and security experts to Iran, in addition to our safeguards inspectors, wherever they are needed.

Madame President,

There is arguably no more important and universally supported endeavour than ensuring that we use the enormous power of the atom for good rather than destruction.

Let us not allow the window to close on diplomacy. Let us not allow the non-proliferation regime to fail.

Irrespective of individual positions and views, one thing is certain, and this is the simple truth: we will not be safer if there are more nuclear weapons in more states around the world.

The IAEA is ready to do its part to bring this military confrontation to an end.

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