US prepares draft resolution condemning Iran at IAEA

The United States is reportedly preparing a draft resolution to condemn Iran ahead of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of Governors meeting next week. This action could potentially complicate ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, which aim to extend a ceasefire and discuss Iran's nuclear program. U.S. President Donald Trump has emphasized that Iran must not develop nuclear weapons, a stance Iran denies pursuing. Military strikes by Israel and the U.S. in June of the previous year damaged Iran's uranium-enrichment plants, though much of the highly enriched uranium is believed to have survived, with the IAEA lacking access to verify its status. Russia and China have historically opposed resolutions against Iran at the IAEA board, which are typically submitted by the U.S., Britain, France, and Germany. The last resolution in November urged Iran to provide information on its enriched uranium stock and bombed atomic sites, which Iran has yet to do. A prior resolution in June found Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations. Russia's ambassador to the IAEA, Mikhail Ulyanov, believes the draft resolution may antagonize the Iranian side and complicate wider talks between the U.S. and Iran.