Iran nuclear: US pushes IAEA to corner Tehran

The United States is discreetly circulating a draft resolution among the 35 member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of Governors. This initiative aims to pressure Iran into providing precise information on its nuclear materials accounting and safeguarded nuclear facilities.

The draft resolution, revealed by Reuters, insists that Iran must fulfill these obligations "without delay" and deems them "necessary and urgent." This push comes in the wake of joint US-Israeli strikes in June 2025 that targeted several Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Since these strikes, IAEA inspectors have been unable to access these sites.

Compounding the issue is the unknown fate of over 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, with the last inspection of these materials dating back to June 10, 2025, according to sources close to the agency. This situation places the Board of Governors in a difficult position, as they are being asked to vote on a resolution demanding accountability from a country whose facilities were partially destroyed by two permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Diplomats anticipate that this resolution may face stronger resistance than previous ones against Iran. Russia and China have already voiced their reservations. Russian Ambassador to the IAEA, Mikhail Ulyanov, warned that a new resolution "could provoke the anger of the Iranian side" and is counterproductive while indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran are stalled.

Iran's reaction has been sharp. Vice Foreign Minister Kazem Gharib Abadi called the IAEA's report an "instrument of political pressure" after it alerted to "proliferation concerns" due to the inaccessibility of inspectors. He stated, "If the Agency wishes to contribute to a diplomatic solution, it must avoid transforming a technical report into a tool of political pressure."