U.N. Watchdog Censures Iran Over Nuclear Program Secrecy

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog agency censured Iran on Thursday evening for failing to cooperate fully with the agency’s monitoring and inspection, as the country is obligated to do under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

The censure by the International Atomic Energy Agency could lead to penalties against Iran, including renewed economic sanctions.

The agency’s Board of Governors voted 19 to 3, with 12 abstentions, for the censure, despite intensive lobbying by Iran and its foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi. He spoke to officials of countries on the board, including Brazil, South Africa, Bangladesh, Algeria, Burkina Faso and Pakistan, urging them to oppose the resolution, which was put forward by Britain, France, Germany and the United States.

The three votes against were cast by Russia, China and Burkina Faso.

Mr. Araghchi promised that Iran would retaliate if the resolution passed, most likely choosing to accelerate its enrichment of uranium to levels close to bomb grade, rather than putting a cap on that enrichment.

Soon after the censure vote, Iran’s foreign ministry and atomic energy agency announced plans to start operation of new, more advanced centrifuges for enriching uranium. But they added that Iran was open to international engagement and would cooperate with the I.A.E.A.

The three European nations and the United States moved to censure Iran over its secretive nuclear program and its consistent refusal to answer questions from the I.A.E.A. or allow oversight. The Western powers were hoping to shore up the credibility of the global agency responsible for ensuring safe use of nuclear power and preventing nuclear weapons proliferation before Donald J. Trump’s return to the White House.