US Prepares Resolution to Condemn Iran at IAEA Amid Nuclear Tensions
US Draft Resolution and Ongoing Nuclear Dispute
By Francois Murphy and John Irish
Background on US-Iran Negotiations
VIENNA/PARIS, June 5 (Reuters) - The United States is preparing a draft resolution condemning Iran ahead of next week's meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog's Board of Governors, diplomats said on Friday, a step that could complicate wider talks between the U.S. and Iran.
Washington and Tehran are negotiating an extension of their ceasefire that would pave the way for talks on issues including Iran's nuclear programme, with U.S. President Donald Trump insisting Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon.
Iran says it never would.
Impact of Previous Military Strikes
Israeli and U.S. military strikes last June destroyed or badly damaged the three uranium-enrichment plants known to have been operating in Iran at the time. Much of its highly enriched uranium, however, is thought to have survived, though the U.N. nuclear watchdog has not had access to check.
Details of the Upcoming IAEA Board Meeting
With a quarterly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board taking place next week, Washington is preparing a text, though it has yet to circulate it and details are therefore unclear, diplomats accredited to the IAEA said.
Iran's Response to Past Resolutions
Iran has bristled at previous resolutions the board has passed against it, often retaliating by escalating its nuclear activities or scaling back cooperation with the agency. A more imminent concern this time are the talks with the U.S.
International Reactions and Positions
"I believe it may antagonize the Iranian side," Russia's ambassador to the IAEA, Mikhail Ulyanov, told reporters.
Russia and China are the two countries that have opposed all recent resolutions against Iran at the IAEA board, which were submitted jointly by the United States, Britain, France and Germany, and have passed by a clear margin.
"As far as I know, they are going to call upon Iran to provide access to the agency's personnel to nuclear facilities on the territory of Iran," said Ulyanov, while adding he did not believe the U.S. would actually submit the draft.
The U.S. mission to the IAEA declined to comment.
History of IAEA Resolutions Against Iran
The last time the IAEA passed a resolution against Iran was in November, to say Iran must inform the IAEA "without delay" of the status of its enriched uranium stock and bombed atomic sites, which it has yet to do.
A resolution in June found Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in almost 20 years, raising the prospect of reporting Tehran to the U.N. Security Council, but the board has yet to take that extra step.
(Writing by Francois Murphy; Editing by Howard Goller)
