France Press: Western Powers Reluctant to Take Tough Stance Against the Islamic Republic

France Press reported: "Western powers, fearing an escalation of tensions in the Middle East, are reluctant to take a tough stance against the Islamic Republic as it advances its nuclear program while simultaneously reducing cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)." According to the report, while the IAEA Board of Governors states that recent actions by the Islamic Republic have "crossed unprecedented thresholds," it has refrained from issuing a binding resolution. A senior diplomat summarizes the current deadlock to France Press, saying: "The picture is very bleak, but the current reality is that there is no interest in provoking a reaction from the Islamic Republic amid the ongoing war in the Middle East." The failure of the JCPOA in 2018 and the subsequent advancement of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program have complicated the situation further. Meanwhile, a confidential IAEA report indicates that uranium enrichment by the Islamic Republic has approached a weapons-grade level of 60%. This comes as the removal of several IAEA inspectors and the Islamic Republic's refusal to reinstall monitoring equipment at its nuclear facilities create new challenges for oversight of its nuclear program. According to the report, amid escalating exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah, which is backed by the Islamic Republic, the cautious approach of Western powers seems aimed at preventing regional tensions from escalating and potential spillover of conflicts. Earlier, the IAEA had announced in its new report published on November 14 that negotiations with Tehran regarding two important issues—installing additional control and inspection equipment at the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities and receiving satisfactory answers about the discovery of uranium traces at two Iranian nuclear sites—had ended without progress. In response to this report, the Islamic Republic stated that the IAEA's questions were based on "fabricated and unreliable documents" and that Iran has no obligation to respond to them. The continued criticism from the IAEA Director-General regarding the actions of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran's response to the IAEA stating that it has no obligation to answer all questions, the European Troika's announcement that it will no longer lift sanctions against the Islamic Republic, and the U.S. ambassador to the IAEA criticizing Iran for "disrupting" the agency's activities are also highlighted.