Reuters: European Powers Consult on Issuing a Resolution Against Iran at the IAEA Board of Governors

Reuters has reported, citing diplomatic sources, that European powers are seeking to issue a new resolution against Iran at the upcoming meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors due to Iran's lack of cooperation with the agency. This report was published on Wednesday, November 14, coinciding with the visit of Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the IAEA, to Tehran. During this visit, Grossi is expected to meet and discuss with Masoud Pezeshkian, the President, Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister, and Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization. Reuters writes that the issuance of a new resolution could escalate tensions with Iran, as Tehran has previously retaliated against the IAEA's criticisms by increasing its nuclear activities and obstructing the agency's inspectors' missions. However, if the new resolution is approved by the Board of Governors, it would follow Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election and his return to the White House, a person who unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal with Iran during his first term and implemented a maximum pressure policy against it. According to these diplomatic sources, this resolution would request the IAEA to prepare a 'comprehensive report' in addition to its quarterly reports on Iran's nuclear activities, focusing on disputes with Tehran, including the discovery of uranium particles at undeclared sites. These diplomatic sources state that the goal of such a resolution is to compel Iran to return to the negotiating table to accept new limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for a reduction in sanctions, limitations that would be less than those stipulated in the JCPOA. An European diplomat told Reuters: 'Our concerns about Iran's nuclear activities are quite clear. It is very natural for the IAEA to be asked to provide an accurate report. This report will then provide a basis for addressing Iran's behavior.' Reuters also reports that four other diplomats have confirmed that France, Britain, and Germany are consulting on issuing a resolution at the Board of Governors. The news agency adds that Western efforts to negotiate with Iran and reach a new agreement before October next year, when the JCPOA will officially end, are fundamentally based on the assumption that Kamala Harris, Trump's rival, will win the U.S. presidential election, as Trump is not inclined to negotiate with Iran. According to diplomats, the United States has not played a role in drafting this resolution, but it is expected to support it, as it did with the last resolution against Iran in June. Reuters adds that on the other hand, Rafael Grossi is reluctant to provide a comprehensive report, as he is in the midst of diplomatic efforts to compel Iran to explain the uranium particles and persuade Tehran to increase the IAEA's oversight of its nuclear activities. Tehran is currently enriching uranium to 60% purity, which is close to the 90% required for a nuclear bomb. According to the IAEA's standards, Iran has enough enriched uranium to produce about four nuclear bombs if further enriched. Iran has long denied any plans to build a nuclear bomb, stating that it enriches uranium solely for non-military energy purposes.