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IAEA Board Demands Iran Account for Near–Weapons Uranium as U.S. Talks Near 15‑Year Enrichment Freeze

The resolution raises verification pressure on Tehran and could force inspectors back into sites or increase sanctions risk for noncooperation.

Overview

  • The IAEA Board of Governors on Wednesday approved a U.S.-backed resolution by a 21–3–10 vote that demands Iran provide full information on its enriched-uranium stocks and grant inspectors access to nuclear sites.
  • The agency says Iran holds about 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, a short technical step from weapons-grade material that makes immediate verification urgent.
  • U.S. and Iranian envoys have reportedly been close to a preliminary framework that would include a 15-year halt to enrichment, stockpile dilution and expanded monitoring, but negotiators describe progress as fragile after recent military exchanges.
  • A verification gap created when U.S. and Israeli strikes in June 2025 damaged enrichment sites and forced inspectors out complicates both the IAEA’s accounting and any deal that depends on independent checks.
  • Key obstacles to sealing and implementing a pact include access to roughly $25 billion in frozen Iranian assets, likely pushback from Iran’s hardliners, and deep diplomatic splits at the IAEA that will shape whether inspections resume or pressure escalates.