By John Irish and Francois Murphy
PARIS/VIENNA, June 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. is lobbying other countries on the U.N. nuclear watchdog's Board of Governors to back a draft resolution demanding that Iran tell the agency what happened to its bombed nuclear sites and the enriched uranium stored there.
The U.S.-drafted text, seen by Reuters on Sunday and circulated ahead of this week's quarterly meeting of the 35-nation board, risks complicating talks between Washington and Tehran. Iran has typically retaliated against resolutions against it at the International Atomic Energy Agency, escalating its nuclear activities or scaling back cooperation.
Previous IAEA board resolutions on Iran, submitted by the U.S., Britain, France and Germany, have passed by wide margins. One adopted in November demanded that Iran inform the agency "without delay" about the status of its enriched uranium stock and damaged sites - something that has yet to happen.
STATEMENT OF INTENT
The U.S. draft says Iran must "provide the Agency with precise information on nuclear material accountancy and safeguarded nuclear facilities in Iran" and grant "all access it requires to verify this information." Both steps are described as "essential and urgent" and must be taken "without delay".
The text stops short of referring Iran to the U.N. Security Council, a move some diplomats had said was under consideration. That would have followed up on a June 12, 2025 resolution declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.
Israel began bombing Iran's nuclear sites a day later.
The U.S. mission to the IAEA declined to comment.
While circulating a draft does not guarantee it will be formally submitted to the board, which would then vote on it, it signals an intention to do so.
Current U.S.-Iran talks aim to extend their ceasefire and pave the way for broader negotiations, including on Iran's nuclear programme. U.S. President Donald Trump has said his goal is to ensure Iran cannot develop nuclear weapons, something Iran denies seeking.
RUSSIA ACCUSES U.S. OF UNDERMINING COOPERATION
While June's strikes destroyed or badly damaged uranium-enrichment facilities, much of Iran's enriched uranium is believed to have survived.
Trump has said he wants Iran's highly enriched uranium removed, particularly what remains of the 440.9 kg (972 lbs) enriched to up to 60% purity - a short step from roughly 90% weapons grade - that the IAEA estimates Iran had when Israel first attacked. That amount would be enough, if further enriched, for 10 nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick.
Russia's ambassador to the IAEA told reporters on Friday a resolution would only antagonise Iran.
"It was exactly the United States who undermined this cooperation," he said, referring to the fact the IAEA had access to Iran's sites until the bombing started.
Russia and China have opposed all recent resolutions against Iran.
(Reporting by John Irish and Francois Murphy. Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Mark Potter)
