Israel said it was disappointed that Ghana chose not to vote in the IAEA decision about Iran breaking its nuclear agreement.

The Ghanaian government’s decision to abstain from voting in favor of a declaration that Iran is violating its nuclear non-proliferation commitments has been criticized by the State of Israel. The possibility of Iran being referred to the UN Security Council increased on Thursday, June 12, 2025, when the 35-member Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), presided over by Ghana, accepted the resolution for the first time in nearly two decades.

“[The board] finds that Iran’s numerous failures to uphold its obligations since 2019 to provide the Agency with full and timely cooperation regarding undeclared nuclear material and activities at multiple undeclared locations in Iran … constitutes non-compliance with its obligations under its Safeguards Agreement with the Agency,” the resolution text, which was obtained by Reuters, states. This decision comes after years of friction between Iran and the IAEA, which grew worse when the agreement collapsed in 2018 due to then-U.S. President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. The vote takes place amid increased geopolitical tension as the United States evacuates its personnel from the Middle East and President Trump reiterates Washington’s refusal to permit Iran to have nuclear weapons while warning of increasing danger in the region.

The resolution, which was sponsored by the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany, was approved by the IAEA with 19 votes in favor, 11 abstentions, and three against—Russia, China, and Burkina Faso—according to diplomatic sources at the closed-door meeting.

Israel’s Response to Ghana

In an interview with a few journalists at his Accra home, Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, Mr. Roey Gilad, expressed his government’s disappointment with Ghana’s decision. He claimed that Israel had relied on Ghana, which was referred to as a longtime friend, to back the resolution.

“Ghana did not participate in the IAEA voting. In the end, 19 states decided that Iran’s nuclear program is not in compliance. Ambassador Gilad told reporters at his Accra home, “We’ve lobbied Ghana very strongly to support the resolution, but Ghana abstained.

He urged Ghana to reevaluate its long-standing non-aligned position in such important issues and characterized Iran’s nuclear activities as a worldwide menace.

Iran is fully committed to overthrowing the Jewish state of Israel, which Ghana has regarded as a close friend since 1957. We believed that Ghana may vote for the non-compliance and show its support for Israel here. We’re saddened that it didn’t happen,” the ambassador continued.

Ambassador Gilad feels that this was a lost chance, even if Ghana’s abstention is consistent with the IAEA protocol, which states that the Chair of the Board normally abstains from voting.

“We felt this was something so crucial to Israel that it warranted an exception,” he said, adding that the official explanation was that Ghana is the IAEA’s Board Chair.
Considering Non-Alignment Again

Although Ambassador Gilad emphasized that Israel respects Ghana’s right to make its own decisions, he called for a reassessment of Ghana’s non-aligned policy, especially in situations when international security is involved.

“We think the traditional policy of non-alignment, which has been in place here since 1957 under Nkrumah, should be reexamined, even though we fully respect Ghana’s sovereign decision-making process, including the Foreign Affairs Ministry.”

“In Israel, we do it every single day. We continuously review our rules and ourselves. I sincerely believe that reevaluating non-alignment may also benefit Ghana,” he continued.
No Effect on Bilateral Relations

Ambassador Gilad was quick to reassure that the strong Ghana-Israeli relations would not be harmed by the setback.

“We cannot ignore this, but it won’t have a significant negative impact on our relationship. We support adult partnerships, and mature partners need to be able to communicate honestly and resolve conflicts. He concluded, “We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again.”

The IAEA is the UN’s specialized organization tasked with encouraging the peaceful use of nuclear energy while attempting to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. It was established in 1957.