VIENNA: Major European countries and the United States are expected to seek to censure Iran as the UN atomic watchdog started meeting on Monday with talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal stalled.

The resolution drafted by the United States, Britain, France and Germany is a sign of their growing impatience as diplomats warn the window to save the landmark agreement is closing.

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors meets on Monday through Friday in Vienna. If the resolution urging Iran to “cooperate fully” with the IAEA is adopted, it will be the first motion censuring Iran since June 2020.

Talks to revive the accord started in April 2021 with the aim of bringing the US back into the deal, lifting sanctions and getting Iran to scale back its stepped-up nuclear programme.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2022