The United Nations Security Council is set to convene behind closed doors on Wednesday to discuss Iran’s expanding stockpile of uranium, which is nearing weapons-grade levels, diplomats confirmed on Monday.
The meeting was requested by six of the council's 15 members, including France, Greece, Panama, South Korea, Britain, and the United States. These nations are also pressing for discussions on Iran’s obligation to provide the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), with necessary information to clarify unresolved issues related to undeclared nuclear material found at multiple sites in Iran. Iran’s mission to the UN in New York has not yet responded to a request for comment on the planned meeting.
Iran has consistently denied seeking to develop nuclear weapons. However, the IAEA has warned that the country is significantly accelerating its uranium enrichment to levels of up to 60% purity, which is close to the 90% threshold required for weapons-grade material. Western nations argue that such high levels of enrichment are unnecessary for civilian purposes and that no other country has done so without subsequently developing nuclear weapons. Iran maintains that its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes.
The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – an agreement between Iran and six major world powers (Britain, Germany, France, the U.S., Russia, and China) – had lifted sanctions on Tehran in exchange for limitations on its nuclear activities. However, the United States withdrew from the deal in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump, leading Iran to gradually move away from its nuclear-related commitments.
Britain, France, and Germany have informed the UN Security Council that they are prepared to trigger the "snapback" mechanism to reinstate all international sanctions on Iran if necessary, aiming to prevent the country from acquiring a nuclear weapon. This option will expire on October 18, 2025, when the UN resolution backing the 2015 nuclear deal is set to lapse.
Meanwhile, Trump has directed his UN envoy to work with allied nations on reimposing international sanctions and restrictions on Iran. The upcoming Security Council meeting is expected to be a crucial step in determining future diplomatic and security measures concerning Iran’s nuclear program.