The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s Board of Governors opened a seasonal meeting on Tuesday, while focusing on the issue of the JCPOA and Iran's nuclear program. On Friday, Reuters news agency quoted some Western diplomats as saying that Britain, Germany and France along with the US do not want to submit a draft resolution against Tehran, because such an action can challenge the current talks on reviving of the JCPOA.
The developments emerged after Rafael Grossi, the director general of the IAEA, reported that Iran's enriched uranium stockpile has reached 16 times the JCPOA limit, assessing that the stockpile amounts to over 3,241 kilograms, while the accepted limit stands at 202 kilograms of enriched uranium.
Reacting to the report by the IAEA, Iranian authorities have underlined that the increase of Tehran's nuclear activities is in line with implementing the Strategic Action Plan to Lift Sanctions and Protect Iranian Nation's Interests approved by Iranian parliament last year, adding that the Islamic Republic has done its best to cooperate with the international nuclear watchdog and submitted precise answers to clarify its nuclear activities.
This is not the first time that the European troika withdraws from its anti-Iran move. On March 4, 2021, the UK, Germany, and France took back their draft resolution at the IAEA Board of Governors.
Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi sent a letter to the IAEA, warning that the Islamic Republic will take appropriate stance if the Board of Governors issues an anti-Iran resolution.
At that time, Iran's Foreign Ministry cautioned the IAEA's Board of Governors on the consequences of any action against Tehran, noting that pursuing an anti-Iran resolution in the organization will disrupt the current situation.
Aside from warnings issued by Iran, the European signatories of the JCPOA have witnessed the Trump team's defeats in dealing with Iran at the UN Security Council, when the US former secretary of state Mike Pompeo's draft resolution on extension of arms embargo on Iran was ruled out by 11 member states of the UN Security Council and the Dominican Republic was the only one member, who stood with the United States in this respect. Moreover, two important member states of the UNSC (Russia and China) vetoed the draft resolution.
Today, the Eastern party most likely stands against the US-EU alliance and supports the 2015 nuclear deal; therefore, creating a united front against Iran at the Board of Governors and the UNSC will be far-fetched. Observers believe that the sixth round of the Joint Commission meetings of the JCPOA in Vienna would be the last round of negotiations to revive the nuclear deal.
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