By: TPA News Desk | editor@thepointafricanews.com

VIENNA, Austria – The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Board of Governors, during its meeting in Vienna, adopted a resolution on Thursday, June 12, 2025, that declares Iran is not complying with its commitments to international nuclear safeguards.

Nineteen of the 35 countries on the board voted in favor of the motion, which was strongly backed by the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Diplomats stated that three countries – Russia, China, and Burkina Faso – voted against the resolution. Eleven others abstained, and two did not cast a vote.

The resolution specifically addresses Iran’s alleged failures to provide full and timely cooperation regarding undeclared nuclear material and activities at multiple undeclared locations. It urges Tehran to provide answers “without delay” to the IAEA’s long-running investigation into uranium traces found at these sites. This marks a significant development, with reports indicating it is the first time in nearly two decades that the IAEA has formally declared Iran in non-compliance with its safeguards obligations. Iran has swiftly condemned the resolution, describing it as politically motivated.

Following the vote, Ambassador Roey Gilad, Israel’s Ambassador to Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, expressed his government’s disappointment with Ghana’s abstention. Speaking to journalists in Accra on Friday, June 13, 2025, Ambassador Gilad acknowledged Ghana’s sovereignty and its traditional non-aligned foreign policy stance. However, he urged a re-evaluation of this foreign policy direction in light of shifting global dynamics, particularly on critical issues of international security. While respecting Ghana’s sovereign choice, he noted that Israel had lobbied Ghana for support, given their longstanding ties.

Ghana currently holds the chairmanship of the IAEA Board of Governors, with Ambassador Matilda Aku Alomatu Osei-Agyeman serving as Chairperson for 2025. The abstention is consistent with the diplomatic convention for the chair of such a body. Nonetheless, the incident has brought Ghana’s foreign policy neutrality into renewed focus amidst increasing international polarization.