Iran’s atomic energy czar vowed to accelerate the regime’s nuclear program on Friday, brushing aside fresh international censure and raising new concerns about Iran’s march toward nuclear weapons.
“We will significantly increase enrichment capacity,” Behrouz Kamalvandi, deputy head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, said on state television. “The Westerners are trying to push our nuclear industry backward through pressure tactics. The votes in favor of the new resolution against Iran were significantly fewer than before.”
Unfortunately, Kamalvandi had a point.
On Thursday, the 35 nations of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution demanding better cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. The censure, pushed by France, Britain, and Germany, represents a step backward from June’s resolution, which had garnered stronger support with 20 nations in favor.
While 19 countries backed the censure this time around, a dozen countries sat on the fence, abstaining from a vote that Tehran’s leadership quickly painted as a diplomatic victory. Notably, Iran’s allies in China and Russia opposed the measure.
Last week’s visit by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi to Tehran’s enrichment complex had offered a glimmer of hope for de-escalation. During those talks, Grossi proposed a temporary pause on uranium enrichment at 60% and higher levels – a suggestion Tehran claims it accepted.
“The director-general proposed a temporary pause on reserves of 60% and higher enrichment levels—not a permanent halt, but a temporary measure,” Kamalvandi said.
According to Reuters, Iran has taken steps to limit its enriched uranium stockpile to approximately 185 kilograms. In another possible concession, Tehran indicated willingness to consider restoring access to four IAEA inspectors, a notable shift after having banned roughly a third of the inspection team last year.
But any optimism from that meeting evaporated in the wake of Thursday’s censure vote.
In response, Tehran’s parliamentary hawks wasted no time capitalizing on the moment, with National Security Committee member Mohammadreza Mohseni Sani calling for the immediate removal of all enrichment restrictions.
Iran’s senior religious leadership joined the chorus of outrage, with Tehran’s Friday prayer leader Ahmad Khatami launching a blistering attack on the IAEA resolution. Khatami framed the Board’s decision as thinly veiled support for Israel, employing the regime’s characteristic rhetoric about “Zionist” influences, while demanding Tehran’s diplomatic corps deliver a “decisive response.”
