UN nuclear agency’s board votes to censure Iran for failing to fully cooperate

VIENNA — The UN nuclear watchdog board on Wednesday censured Iran for not fully cooperating with the agency, diplomats said, calling on Tehran to provide answers in a long-running investigation and reverse its decision to exclude several experienced inspectors from the agency. UN.

The vote by the 35-member board at the International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters in Vienna sets the stage for a likely further escalation of tensions between the agency and Iran, which has reacted strongly to similar previous resolutions.

Twenty members voted in favor of the resolution, while Russia and China opposed it, 12 abstained and one did not vote, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the outcome of the closed-door vote. The resolution was presented by France, Germany and Great Britain.

The IAEA board’s censure resolutions are not legally binding, but they send a strong political and diplomatic message.