The board of the United Nations atomic watchdog agency on Friday issued a rare condemnation of Iran for stonewalling its nuclear inspectors, and called on the country to allow the agency access to two undeclared sites.  

The resolution passed by the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) 35-nation Board of Governors was the first to formally criticize the Islamic Republic since 2012. Drafted by the E3 — France, United Kingdom and Germany — the text “calls on Iran to fully cooperate with the Agency and satisfy the Agency’s requests without any further delay, including by providing prompt access to the locations specified by the Agency.” 

Board members demanded access to two old sites used in the early 2000s, but identified in March, where they suspect Iran has stored or conducted nuclear activity without declaring so to the agency. In its latest report, the IAEA said one of the facilities was partially demolished, and it had observed activity at the other that suggested Iran was cleaning up traces of nuclear activity. 

Iran says the agency lacks the authority to inspect the sites in question. Following the vote Friday, Iran’s permanent representative to Vienna-based international organizations, Kazem Gharib Abadi, vowed his country would respond “appropriately.”