On September 9, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors considered the Iran nuclear issue. Ambassador Li Song, Permanent Representative of China to the IAEA, stated China’s position during the meeting.
Li Song pointed out that Since June of last year, the United States and Israel have twice launched military strikes against Iran's peaceful nuclear facilities under the safeguards of the IAEA, causing serious obstacles to the safeguards cooperation between Iran and the IAEA and delivering a severe blow to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime. Armed attacks or threats against any facility under IAEA safeguards violate the UN Charter, international law, and the principles of the IAEA Statute. These attacks are the root cause why cooperation between Iran and the IAEA has yet to return to the right track.
Li Song pointed out that political confrontation in the Board will not resolve the Iran nuclear issue, that forcing through a resolution will only aggravate tensions, and that referring the matter to the Security Council offers no way out. The historical evolution of the Iran nuclear issue has fully demonstrated that its way out lies in a political and diplomatic resolution. The United States and Iran signed an MoU in June this year, which was a valuable outcome of mediation and good offices by multiple parties. Now that the door to negotiations has been opened, it should not be shut again. As long as there is hope for peace, it should not be abandoned. The pressing priority is to de-escalate the situation and return to the track of dialogue and negotiation. China will make unremitting efforts to advance a political settlement of the Iran nuclear issue and promote peace and stability in the Middle East.
During the meeting, IAEA member states engaged in heated debate before voting to adopt a resolution on the Iran nuclear issue sponsored by the United States alongside the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Among the 34 member states with voting rights in the Board of Governors, China, Russia, and Niger voted against the resolution, while 8 developing countries, including Brazil, South Africa, India, Egypt, and Thailand, abstained.