Major Western powers, including the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, have formally submitted a resolution to the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) condemning Iran's "non-compliance" with its nuclear obligations, AFP reports.
The resolution, submitted on Tuesday, aims to escalate pressure on Tehran amid persistent international concerns regarding its nuclear program.
Diplomatic sources confirmed to AFP that "the text has been submitted." The resolution is expected to proceed to a vote as early as Wednesday evening during the ongoing board meeting of the Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog.
The draft resolution, seen by AFP, urges Iran "to urgently remedy its non-compliance" with its commitments under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It further "deeply regrets" Tehran's failure to cooperate fully with the IAEA, despite "repeated calls from the Board and many opportunities offered."
The resolution highlights the IAEA's "inability... to provide assurance that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful," noting that this "gives rise to questions that are within the competence of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)," which holds the authority to impose sanctions.
This diplomatic maneuver follows a late May IAEA report that cited "a general lack of cooperation" from Tehran. The report also criticized "less than satisfactory" cooperation from Iran in clarifying nuclear material found at undeclared sites. For years, the agency has sought explanations for nuclear material and equipment discovered at undeclared sites and linked to undeclared activities from the early 2000s. Concerns have been further heightened by Iran's accelerated production of near-weapons-grade uranium in recent months.
Iran has rejected the IAEA report, claiming it was based on “unreliable and misleading information” provided to the agency by Israel.
The resolution comes despite ongoing indirect talks between the US and Iran on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
The indirect negotiations are slated to resume next Sunday in Muscat, the capital of Oman, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei revealed on Monday night.
President Donald Trump, speaking at an event in the White House on Monday, commented on the ongoing talks with Iran.
“We’re trying to make a deal [with Iran] so that there’s no destruction and death,” Trump stated, adding that the Iranians are “tough negotiators.”
Asked what the main impediment is to a deal, he replied, “They’re just asking for things that you can’t do”, namely refusing to give up its ability to enrich uranium.
Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, announced on Sunday that the latest United States proposal for a nuclear deal fails to include the lifting of sanctions, accusing Washington of dishonesty and attempting to impose a "unilateral" agreement.