VIENNA — Iran has formally 
requested that a proposal banning all forms of attack or threat of attack against safeguarded nuclear facilities be added to the agenda of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) 70th General Conference, as Tehran steps up diplomatic efforts to shield its nuclear sites from military strikes.
The permanent mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Vienna submitted a formal note to the IAEA secretariat seeking to include the item “Prohibition of all forms of attack and threat of attack against nuclear sites and facilities under IAEA safeguards and devoted to peaceful purposes” on the conference agenda. 
The secretariat has placed the request on the supplementary agenda and proposed that the item be discussed in the plenary following review by the General Committee.
In its explanatory memorandum, Iran said the world has witnessed “deeply concerning developments” in recent years regarding attacks on safeguarded nuclear facilities, and that the positions of member states in the Board of Governors, the General Conference, and the UN Security Council have demonstrated serious international concern over the consequences of such actions.
“Attacks or threats against such facilities create serious risks to nuclear safety and security and call into question the credibility and integrity of the Agency’s safeguards system,” the memorandum said. 
It further warned that such actions disrupt activities and programs

 related to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and undermine the trust, stability, and predictability needed for the development of peaceful nuclear programs.
Iran also said that attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities not only contradict the objectives of the safeguards system but also run counter to the Agency’s mission to expand the role of atomic energy for peace, health, and prosperity worldwide. 
The memorandum stressed that such attacks violate fundamental principles of international law, including the prohibition of the threat or use of force enshrined in the UN Charter, and undermine the inalienable right of states to research, produce, develop, and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as recognized under Article IV of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Iran’s permanent mission said the proposal would provide a suitable framework for member states to discuss the legal, institutional, and technical dimensions of attacks against peaceful nuclear facilities, the responsibility of perpetrators, and the consequences for the safeguards system and the global non-proliferation architecture.
The 70th IAEA General Conference is scheduled to take place from September 14 to 18, 2026, at the Vienna International Centre, where member states will discuss and decide on matters related to the Agency’s activities, policies, and programs.