Araqchi on Tuesday night sent a letter to the foreign ministers of member states of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stressing that the United States is responsible for the current crisis and should not be permitted to exploit the Board of Governors to justify and legitimize its illegal measures.
In the letter, sent concurrently with the June quarterly meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, Araqchi described the draft resolution submitted by the US as a politically motivated move undertaken in bad faith.
Referring to developments following the adoption of last year’s June 2025 Board of Governors resolution, the Iranian foreign minister stated that less than 24 hours after its approval, the Israeli regime and the US launched unlawful attacks against Iran’s safeguarded nuclear facilities and caused the deaths of a large number of Iranian citizens.
Araqchi raised the question of whether the Agency is once again going to become an instrument for justifying actions against peaceful nuclear facilities.
He emphasized that the principal sponsor of the draft resolution is itself the source of the crisis it now claims to address. Pointing to repeated US and Israeli attacks on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities as well as the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists and members of their families since June 2025, Araqchi described those actions as unprecedented in the history of the Agency.
He stated that such attacks have had broad consequences for the international legal order, global peace and security, the nuclear non-proliferation regime, and the implementation of IAEA safeguards.
The Iranian foreign minister also criticized the content of the US draft resolution, saying it focuses solely on the consequences of recent developments while deliberately avoiding reference to the main causes and underlying factors that led to the current situation.
Highlighting the responsibility of Board members in deciding on the US’ criminal initiative, Araqchi said their votes would affect not only Iran’s current file but also the credibility, independence, and future of the IAEA as well as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
He also called on Board members to approach the issue with vigilance, impartiality, and responsibility and not allow the Agency to once again become a political tool of the US.
In another part of the letter, Araqchi referred to the US’ unilateral and unlawful withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, military actions against Iran during diplomatic processes, and extensive attacks on safeguarded nuclear facilities as indications of Washington’s disregard for its international commitments.
He urged members of the Board of Governors to oppose the resolution in order to prevent further complications.
The quarterly meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors is currently underway in Vienna, where the US has submitted a draft resolution against the Islamic Republic of Iran for review and decision by member states.