Vienna: The Iran nuclear dispute is entering a new diplomatic phase as the United States, Britain, France and Germany push for a resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors that could lead to Iran being reported to the United Nations Security Council.
The proposed resolution has not yet been formally submitted to the IAEA Board, and negotiations over its wording are continuing. The 35 member board is expected to consider the matter at its meeting in Vienna next week.
The move follows continuing concerns over Iran's nuclear activities and the inability of the IAEA to fully verify the status of Iran's nuclear material and key facilities following military attacks in June 2025.
The proposed resolution would ask the IAEA Director General, Rafael Grossi, to transmit the resolution and earlier resolutions on Iran to the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly. It would also call on Iran to meet its obligations under its safeguards agreement and provide the information and access needed for the agency to verify its nuclear declarations.
The issue has become more difficult because IAEA inspectors have not been able to return to the main Iranian nuclear facilities that were affected by the attacks.
The agency has, however, been able to carry out work at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant. It has not regained access to the other safeguarded facilities affected by the conflict, leaving major gaps in its knowledge of Iran's nuclear programme.
A key concern is Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
The IAEA had estimated that Iran possessed 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent by June 13, 2025. This was shortly before the military attacks began and should not be treated as a confirmed measure of Iran's current stockpile.
The agency has since been unable to verify how much of that material remains, where it is located or what has happened to it.
Uranium enriched to 60 percent is well above the level normally needed for civilian nuclear power and is considered a serious proliferation concern. It is still below the level generally associated with weapons grade uranium.
The existence of the stockpile does not mean that Iran possesses a nuclear weapon. Iran has repeatedly said that its nuclear programme is peaceful and that it does not intend to produce nuclear weapons.
Iran is a party to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty and says it has the right to develop nuclear technology, including uranium enrichment, for peaceful purposes.
The current dispute follows a major escalation in June 2025. On June 12, the IAEA Board of Governors adopted a resolution declaring Iran in breach of its nuclear safeguards obligations after years of concerns over its cooperation with an investigation into uranium traces found at undeclared locations.
Israel began attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities on June 13. The United States later joined the military campaign. The attacks continued until June 24 and badly damaged several Iranian nuclear facilities.
Following the attacks, the IAEA stopped its verification activities in Iran for safety reasons. Iran subsequently suspended cooperation with the agency under a law enacted on July 2, 2025.
The attacks affected facilities including the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, the Natanz enrichment facilities and nuclear facilities in Isfahan. The loss of access has made it difficult for the IAEA to establish the current status of Iran's nuclear material and activities.
Another unresolved issue concerns a fourth declared enrichment facility in Isfahan. Iran had informed the IAEA about the facility, but the agency was unable to carry out its planned verification work before the June 2025 attacks. Its current status therefore remains unclear.
The proposed IAEA resolution would represent a further diplomatic escalation, but it would not itself impose new UN sanctions on Iran.
Any action by the Security Council would require a separate decision. Russia and China, both permanent members of the Security Council, could use their veto powers to block substantive measures against Iran.
The proposed resolution also comes as the Security Council prepares for a separate dispute over the future of international sanctions monitoring related to Iran. The monitoring mechanism is due to come under discussion later this month.
For now, the immediate issue is whether the IAEA Board of Governors will approve the new resolution and whether the dispute will formally move toward the Security Council.
The central unresolved question remains the same: the IAEA needs access and reliable information from Iran to establish what nuclear material remains, where it is located and whether Iran's current nuclear declarations are complete and accurate.