Key insights
- The US is reportedly preparing a draft resolution to condemn Iran at the IAEA, potentially complicating ongoing ceasefire extension talks. This action could lead to Iranian retaliation, such as escalating nuclear activities or reducing cooperation, which may increase geopolitical tensions and impact global energy markets indirectly. Russia and China's opposition to such resolutions adds another layer of complexity to international diplomacy.
By Francois Murphy and John Irish
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.
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.
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 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.
"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.
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.
The best investments start with better data. Going with your gut has its place, but when excitement masquerades as intuition, it can lead to costly mistakes—or analysis paralysis. InvestingPro combines institutional-grade data with AI-powered insights that you don't need a finance PhD to understand. It won't guarantee winners, but it will certainly help you find more of them, more often. So what are the best investments of 2026 so far?