European powers have submitted a draft resolution to the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s Board of Governors, urging Iran to provide clarity on uranium traces discovered at undeclared sites and addressing concerns about the barring of inspectors. The draft, seen by Reuters, builds on a resolution passed 18 months ago, which called for Tehran’s urgent compliance with a long-standing International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) investigation. The newly submitted text calls for Iran to cooperate without delay, allowing the IAEA to take necessary samples. It also tackles recent issues, such as Iran’s barring of many of the IAEA’s top uranium-enrichment experts. The resolution urges Iran to reverse these actions and implement a March 2023 joint statement, which the IAEA viewed as a broad commitment to cooperation. “The Board calls on Iran to provide sufficient cooperation with the Agency and take the essential and urgent actions as decided by the Board in its November 2022 resolution, to resolve safeguards issues which remain outstanding despite numerous interactions with the Agency since 2019,” the text states.
The IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors, one of the agency’s two primary policy-making bodies, meets quarterly. The other body meets annually. Since the 2022 resolution, the number of sites under investigation for uranium traces has been reduced from three to two. However, Iran has yet to explain the presence of these traces, referred to by the IAEA as “outstanding safeguards issues.” Britain, France, and Germany, collectively known as the E3, are pushing for the resolution despite U.S. concerns that it could provoke Iran into escalating its nuclear activities. Historically, Tehran has reacted negatively to such resolutions, taking steps to advance its nuclear program in response. The E3 diplomats argue that Iran’s ongoing lack of cooperation and its advancing nuclear program necessitate this measure.
The E3 would not have submitted the resolution without confidence in its passage. The previous resolution against Iran was only opposed by Russia and China. According to IAEA standards, Iran is enriching uranium to a purity of up to 60%, nearing the 90% required for weapons-grade material. It has amassed enough material enriched to that level, which, if further enriched, could produce three nuclear bombs.
Western powers assert there is no credible civilian justification for such a high level of enrichment. The IAEA notes that no other country has enriched uranium to this level without developing nuclear weapons. However, Iran maintains that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.
The draft resolution indicates that if Iran fails to cooperate, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi may prepare a “comprehensive” report, increasing pressure on Tehran. “Continued failure by Iran to provide the necessary, full, and unambiguous cooperation with the Agency to resolve all outstanding safeguards issues may necessitate the production, by the Director General, of a comprehensive and updated assessment on the possible presence or use of undeclared nuclear material,” the text says.
The resolution underscores the E3’s determination to address Iran’s nuclear activities and the challenges faced by the IAEA in ensuring compliance. The move reflects ongoing international concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the need for transparency and cooperation in addressing these critical issues. In summary, the European powers’ draft resolution to the IAEA Board of Governors highlights the urgent need for Iran to clarify uranium traces found at undeclared sites and to address the barring of inspectors. Despite potential escalation risks, the E3 are pressing forward, confident in the resolution’s passage, aiming to ensure compliance and transparency in Iran’s nuclear activities. The resolution represents a crucial step in the international community’s efforts to manage and mitigate the potential threats posed by Iran’s advancing nuclear program.
