Iran calls diplomacy and resistance “complementary,” as nuclear agency spokesman warns of confrontation if talks fail and rejects coercive concessions

Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman and deputy head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, told reporters on Sunday that Tehran would pursue its national interests through diplomacy and resistance, and was prepared for confrontation if negotiations failed. He said the two approaches were complementary, not opposing strategies, and that Iran would not let other countries use force to obtain concessions they had failed to secure at the negotiating table.

Kamalvandi sharply criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency, describing resolutions against Iran as politically motivated and lacking a legal basis. He said the measures had damaged the agency’s credibility.

Asked about a possible withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Kamalvandi said the matter would require parliamentary consideration and that the government would act according to its policies. He also reiterated that Iran’s nuclear program is peaceful, saying the country’s indigenous nuclear industry could not be eliminated by “a few blows” and that its development would continue in economic and medical fields.

On September 9, 2026, the IAEA Board of Governors voted to report Iran to the UN Security Council over its safeguards obligations. The Arms Control Association reported that the agency said it could not verify the status of some nuclear facilities and associated material because Iran had not provided access.