According to a draft resolution reached by Reuters news agency, the United States, France, Britain and Germany are asking the board of the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to pressure Iran to answer questions about the origin of uranium particles found in the country.
This move is likely to anger Iran, which often reacts to such decisions. The decision could undermine efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement (JCPOA) with Iran. Indirect talks between Iran and the United States aimed at reviving the agreement have already stalled.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it will respond to any “unconstructive action decision” at next week’s IAEA board meeting.
Although Iran says its nuclear program is purely peaceful, Western powers say it is approaching Tehran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons.
Western powers had delayed submitting a draft resolution to previous quarterly meetings of the IAEA’s 35-country governing body to avoid derailing talks to revive the JCPOA in Vienna.
But talks in Vienna have not progressed since March.
During the talks in Vienna in March, the parties agreed to restart the talks in order to resolve the unresolved issues.
The problem with Tehran’s nuclear program has come to a head since the IAEA told member states this week that Iran has not given reliable answers about particles found in three undeclared areas.
In the draft resolution sent to member states today, the IAEA board of directors said that “Iran calls on Iran to take immediate action to meet its legal obligations and to immediately accept the IAEA director-general’s proposal for further dialogue to clarify and resolve all pending security measures.”
It is not clear by which countries this text, dated May 31, reached by Reuters, was prepared.
Speaking to Reuters, the two diplomats said the text was prepared by the United States and France, the United Kingdom and Germany, known as the E3 countries.
The draft text has not yet been officially released for the meeting that will start next Monday.
Members of the IAEA board of directors may accept the draft resolution text without objection or submit it to a vote. The text is likely to be modified before it is presented to the board.
“We will naturally respond strongly and appropriately to any unconstructive action by the IAEA board,” Sayid Hatipzade, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, said on the ministry’s Telegram channel.