Iran has bristled at past resolutions, responded in kind

14/11/2024 5:47

        European powers are
        pushing for a new resolution against Iran by the U.N. atomic
        watchdog's board next week to pressure Tehran over its poor
        cooperation, as the world awaits the return of U.S.
        President-elect Donald Trump, diplomats say.
        
        Such resolutions risk further diplomatic tension with Iran.
        It has retaliated to previous ones and other criticism at the
        International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of
        Governors by stepping up its nuclear activities and barring top
        IAEA inspectors, heightening Western concerns about its aims.
        
        The resolution would task the IAEA with issuing a so-called
        "comprehensive report" on Iran's nuclear activities in addition
        to its regular quarterly ones, which would describe in more
        detail and put further focus on problem areas like Iran's
        continued failure to explain uranium traces found at undeclared
        sites.
        
        The aim is to force Iran back to the negotiating table to
        agree new restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for
        sanctions relief - both less far-reaching than those in a 2015
        nuclear deal with major powers that Trump pulled the United
        States out of in 2018, prompting its collapse.
        
        That deal saw Iran agree to severe restrictions on its
        nuclear activities and tougher international inspections, as
        Western powers sought to ease the risk of conflict between Iran
        and its regional rivals by reducing its nuclear capabilities.
        
        "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 said, one of five who said
        France, Britain and Germany are pushing for a resolution.
        
        Western efforts to hold negotiations with Iran in time for a
        new agreement before the 2015 deal's "termination day" in
        October of next year had been largely based on the assumption
        Trump's opponent Kamala Harris would win the presidential
        election, given Trump's aversion to negotiating with Iran.
        
        The United States has not been the driving force behind the
        resolution but is still expected to back it, as happened with
        the last resolution against Iran in June, diplomats said. The
        European powers seeking a resolution, known as the "E3", are
        discussing the draft with the outgoing U.S. administration.
        
        IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has also not been keen on a
        comprehensive report since he is involved in delicate diplomacy
        aimed at obtaining more immediate explanations of the uranium
        traces from Iran and convincing it to expand his agency's
        oversight of its nuclear activities.
        
        "We are in real terms (already) providing this," Grossi told
        a news conference in September when asked about the possibility
        of a comprehensive report.
        
        "My approach is to try to solve issues now and not to have a
        perspective of a somehow punitive action at some point in the
        future. My idea is to try to make the cooperation work now."
        
        
        
        TENSION
        
        Grossi arrived in Tehran on Wednesday for talks and his
        first meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian since
        Pezeshkian took office in July, which Grossi hopes will help
        break the long-standing deadlock on key issues.
        
        Highlighting the tension between Grossi's aim of immediate
        concessions and Western powers' aim to pressure Iran into talks
        on nuclear restrictions next year, a senior Iranian official
        said: "Tehran's reaction to a resolution could be limitations on
        diplomatic and technical cooperation (with the IAEA)."
        
        Whether the incoming Trump administration would be open to
        negotiations on what some diplomats have called a "less for
        less" deal, compared with the 2015 one, is an open question.
        
        What concessions and promises Grossi obtains from Iran will
        be watched closely for indications of Iran's openness to talks.
        
        Pezeshkian said Tehran will not be able to ignore its
        arch-foe the United States and needs to "handle its enemies with
        forbearance", state media reported on Tuesday, a week after
        Trump won the U.S. presidential election.
        
        While there have been no reports the Trump administration
        plans to hold talks with Tehran after it takes office in
        January, the President-elect said during the campaign: "I don't
        want to do damage to Iran but they cannot have nuclear weapons."