Tehran secures seat on key procedural body of UN nuclear watchdog after member states reject Washington’s bid to block membership.
Iran has been elected to the General Committee of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference, overcoming reported efforts by the United States to prevent its membership.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations in Vienna announced the outcome on Tuesday, stating that IAEA member states voted in favour of Tehran’s participation. The mission described the result as a rejection of attempts to use unilateral pressure to influence the agency’s collective decisions.
“Despite US efforts to obstruct Iran’s participation in the General Committee, IAEA Member States made their choice: they voted in favor of Iran,” the Iranian mission said in a post on X.
Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said the United States had made extensive efforts in recent days to block Iran’s membership. When those efforts failed, the matter was put to a vote. Kamalvandi said the United States was defeated by a wide margin.
Iran Secures IAEA Committee Seat Despite US Opposition:
Iranian Ambassador Reza Najafi, permanent representative to international organisations in Vienna, said Iran had been nominated by the Middle East and South Asia (MESA) geographical group. The United States opposed the nomination, forcing a vote. A number of countries supporting Iran called for a secret ballot, after which the conference confirmed membership. Najafi described the outcome as another political defeat for Washington.
The General Committee is a procedural body of the IAEA General Conference. It reviews the agenda, session schedule and credentials of delegates. Membership gives countries a role in shaping the organisational work of the annual gathering of the UN nuclear watchdog.
The election comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and Western powers over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Just days earlier, the United States had successfully pressed Austria to revoke the visa of Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, preventing him from attending the same General Conference in Vienna. Iranian officials condemned that move as a violation of sovereign rights and an attempt to isolate Tehran.
Iran Wins IAEA Committee Seat Despite US Opposition:
The IAEA Board of Governors recently reported Iran to the UN Security Council for the first time in two decades over unresolved questions related to uranium particles found at undeclared sites and insufficient cooperation with inspectors. Iran, supported by Russia and China, has rejected the resolution as politically motivated and legally baseless, insisting its nuclear programme is peaceful and that it continues to cooperate with the agency where appropriate.
Washington has long accused Iran of failing to meet its non-proliferation obligations and of pursuing activities that raise proliferation concerns. Tehran maintains that it is the victim of double standards, Western pressure and, more recently, military attacks on its nuclear facilities. Iranian officials have repeatedly framed US actions at the IAEA as attempts to politicise a technical organisation.
The General Conference, currently under way in Vienna, brings together IAEA member states to discuss nuclear safety, security, technical cooperation and safeguards. Iran’s election to the General Committee, despite the reported US campaign against it, underscores the limits of unilateral influence within the multilateral body and the continued support Tehran retains among a significant number of member states, particularly from the Global South and its regional grouping.