The Iranian Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) have strongly condemned the latest report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), describing it as a politically motivated document that disregards Iran’s cooperation and reflects continued Western violations of the 2015 nuclear agreement.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, along with the United States, have  repeatedly violated their commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal, fully known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and continue imposing sanctions on Iran, describing the latest resolution as an “unjustified political step.”

The IAEA had accused Tehran of stepping up its production of highly enriched uranium.

Had the E3 countries and the US acted based on justice, they would not have issued such an unfair and repetitive report, the joint statement read.

It further criticized the IAEA for releasing the report without considering the outcomes of the recent visit by the agency’s Director General to Tehran, saying that the decision shows political intent rather than professional judgment.

IAEA's report

In its latest report, the IAEA claimed that Iran has sharply increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to up to 60%, close to the roughly 90% level needed for atomic weapons.

In its quarterly report, the agency said that as of May 17, Iran possesses an estimated 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 percent, marking an increase of 133.8 kilograms since the previous report in February.

According to the report, Iran's total amount of enriched uranium now exceeds 45 times the limit authorized by the 2015 agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and is estimated at 9,247.6 kilograms.

Israeli fingerprints all over report

Tehran stated that the report is based on forged Israeli documents, arguing that such reliance violates the IAEA’s principles regarding source credibility.

Iran stressed that "Israel", a third party not part of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), continues to threaten Iran’s peaceful nuclear program while remaining outside the international regulatory framework, although it possesses a nuclear arsenal. The statement expressed regret that the IAEA had not condemned repeated Israeli threats, despite repeated requests from Tehran.

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“Unfortunately, the director general of the Agency has not taken any action despite his legal responsibilities and the repeated requests of the Islamic Republic of Iran to condemn these threats," the statement pointed out.

Iran warns against politicization at IAEA board

Iran warned that if countries attempt to exploit its constructive cooperation with the agency, especially during the upcoming IAEA Board of Governors meeting, it will take "appropriate measures", adding that the Foreign Ministry held Western powers accountable for the consequences of what it described as an unconstructive approach.

"If some countries intend to abuse Iran's cooperation and interactions with the IAEA and its transparent and trust-building approach in the IAEA's verification activities or the current report during the Board of Governors meeting, Iran will adopt and implement appropriate measures in response to such an approach, in order to protect the country's legitimate rights and interests, the consequences and responsibility of which will have to shouldered by those countries," the statement read.

It also mentioned that the report lacks professional standards, failing to address the root causes of the current situation, particularly the unilateral US withdrawal from the agreement and the failure of European countries to fulfill their obligations.

Report lacks consensus

Iran also pointed out that many IAEA member states have not supported the resolution, calling it a clear indication of the failure of Western efforts to build consensus on punitive measures against Tehran, emphasizing that Iran’s uranium enrichment program remains under the IAEA’s supervision, conducted with full transparency and within the bounds of the NPT.

Tehran reiterated that nuclear weapons have no place in its defense doctrine, citing a religious decree by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, as the moral and strategic foundation for its peaceful nuclear stance.

"There is no place for nuclear weapons in our defense doctrine," the statement said.

Tehran further insisted that it does not accept any illegal restrictions on its sovereign right to pursue peaceful nuclear energy.

Slamming Grossi's claims of undeclared nuclear activities, Iran maintained that it has provided IAEA inspectors access to all requested sites and facilitated comprehensive inspections to disprove such allegations, arguing that the repetition of these accusations aims to incite a hostile atmosphere and undermine Iran’s international standing.

"The allegations in the [IAEA] Director General’s current report are based on allegations of a few undeclared activities and locations relating to the past decades, while Iran has repeatedly stated that it has no undeclared nuclear sites or activities," the statement read.

"According to the fundamental principles of international law, there are no barriers or limitations to the enjoyment of the inherent and inalienable right to benefit from nuclear energy for peaceful purposes," it asserted.

"Iran's enrichment program is for peaceful purposes only, under full IAEA monitoring, fully transparent, and in accordance with the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA," it further read.

Western powers prepare to pressure IAEA

This comes, as earlier, Reuters reported, citing diplomatic sources, that Western powers plan to pressure the IAEA’s Board of Governors at its upcoming meeting to formally declare that Iran is not complying with its nuclear obligations.

It is worth mentioning that the “trigger mechanism” clause of the nuclear agreement nears expiration in October. Under this mechanism, any of the original signatories, the US, France, Britain, Russia, or China, could refer the issue to the UN Security Council, potentially reimposing sanctions if consensus is not reached.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that Tehran will respond forcefully if this mechanism is activated.