VIENNA: Leading member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)—specifically the E3 (the United Kingdom, France, Germany) and the United States—have prepared a formal draft resolution seeking to refer Iran’s nuclear dossier to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The diplomatic move follows persistent concerns regarding Tehran’s lack of technical cooperation on unresolved safeguard investigations, notably the unexplained presence of processed uranium traces at several undeclared sites.
Diplomatic sources indicate that the draft resolution expresses deep concern over Iran’s prolonged failure to offer credible explanations regarding nuclear materials detected at historical undeclared facilities. Western delegations also cite Iran’s expansion of advanced centrifuge cascades, ongoing enrichment of uranium up to 60% purity, and the revocation of accreditation for several seasoned IAEA inspectors as severe breaches of its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The draft urges Tehran to grant IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and technical verification teams unconditional, immediate access to all contested monitoring installations. Analysts warn that should the IAEA Board of Governors adopt the resolution and formally transfer the file to the UN Security Council, it could trigger the ‘snapback’ mechanism to reinstate previously lifted international sanctions, further heightening geopolitical frictions in West Asia.
