US lobbies UN nuclear watchdog to tighten pressure on Iran

The United States is pushing members of the UN nuclear watchdog’s board to back a resolution demanding that Iran account for its bombed nuclear sites and the enriched uranium kept there.

The US-drafted text, seen by Reuters on Sunday, was circulated before this week’s quarterly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors.

The move risks further poisoning talks between Washington and Tehran after Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. Iran has previously responded to IAEA resolutions by expanding its nuclear activity or reducing cooperation with the agency.

Earlier resolutions on Iran, backed by the US, Britain, France and Germany, passed by wide margins. A resolution adopted in November demanded that Iran inform the agency “without delay” about the status of its enriched uranium stock and damaged sites, but that has not happened.