European powers are reportedly seeking to issue a new resolution against the Iranian regime at the upcoming International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors meeting due to Iran’s lack of cooperation with the agency, according to diplomatic sources cited by Reuters.
This report was published on November 13, coinciding with a visit to Tehran by Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA.
Reuters notes that passing a new resolution could escalate tensions with Iran, as Tehran has previously retaliated against IAEA Board of Governors’ criticisms by ramping up nuclear activities and hindering IAEA inspectors.
However, if passed, this resolution would come after Donald Trump’s recent victory in the U.S. presidential election and his return to the White House, where in his first term he unilaterally canceled the nuclear agreement with Iran and enforced a maximum pressure campaign against it.
The resolution would request that the IAEA, in addition to its quarterly reports on Iran’s nuclear activities, also prepare a “comprehensive report” with more detailed information focused on issues with Tehran, including the discovery of uranium particles at undeclared sites.
“Our concerns about Iranian nuclear activity are well known. It feels a natural point to be asking the IAEA for a thorough report. That then provides a basis to deal with Iranian behaviour,” a European diplomat told Reuters.
Diplomatic sources state that the goal of such a resolution is to pressure Iran’s regime into returning to the negotiating table to accept new restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for reduced sanctions, albeit less restrictive than those under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Reuters adds that four additional diplomats have confirmed that France, the United Kingdom, and Germany are lobbying for a resolution at the IAEA Board of Governors.
Reuters adds that Western efforts to negotiate a new agreement with Iran before the JCPOA officially expires in October next year were largely based on the assumption that Kamala Harris, Trump’s opponent, would win the U.S. presidential election, as Trump has shown no inclination to negotiate with Iran’s regime.
Reuters further reports that Rafael Grossi is reluctant to provide a comprehensive report, as he is currently involved in diplomatic efforts to compel Iran to explain the presence of uranium particles and to convince Tehran to allow greater IAEA oversight of its nuclear activities.
Tehran is currently enriching uranium to 60% purity, close to the 90% required for an atomic bomb. According to IAEA standards, Iran has enough enriched uranium to potentially produce about four nuclear bombs if further enriched.
The Iranian regime has previously shown disregard for international laws, and all past negotiations with this regime have reached a deadlock, yet European countries continue to insist on negotiations with the regime.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the elected president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the largest opposition group to the Iranian regime, has emphasized the need to invoke the “snapback” mechanism under UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and to reactivate UN Security Council resolutions related to the regime’s nuclear projects.
She added that it is imperative to place the clerical regime under Chapter VII of the UN Charter and to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
