US threatens fresh resolution against Iran at IAEA over nuclear ‘stonewalling’

The United States is threatening future action against Iran at the UN nuclear watchdog if Tehran keeps “stonewalling” the watchdog by denying it the cooperation and answers it seeks on issues including long-unexplained uranium traces.

At a quarterly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors, Washington again tells Iran to cooperate with IAEA inspectors who for years have been seeking explanations from Tehran on the origin of uranium particles at undeclared sites.

The United States has stopped short, for now, of seeking a resolution against Iran, however. Diplomats have cited the US presidential election in November as a reason Washington has been reluctant to do that. Tehran bristles at such resolutions and often responds by stepping up its activities.

However, it says if Iran does not provide the necessary cooperation soon, it would act.

“We believe we have come to the point that we and the broader international community must consider anew how to respond to Iran’s continued stonewalling,” the United States says in a statement to the board meeting. “We cannot allow Iran’s current pattern of behavior to continue.”

“It is our strongly held view that Iran’s continuing lack of credible cooperation provides grounds for pursuing further Board of Governors action, including the possibility of additional resolutions and consideration of whether Iran is once again in noncompliance with its safeguards obligations,” it adds.