U.S. Threatens Action on Iran at UN Nuclear Watchdog

The United States threatened future action against Iran at the UN nuclear watchdog if Tehran keeps "stonewalling" the watchdog by denying it the cooperation and answers it seeks on issues including long-unexplained uranium traces.

At a quarterly meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of Governors, Washington again told Iran to cooperate with IAEA inspectors who for years have been seeking explanations from Tehran on the origin of uranium particles at undeclared sites.

The United States has stopped short, for now, of seeking a resolution against Iran, however. Diplomats have cited the US presidential election in November as a reason Washington has been reluctant to do that. Tehran bristles at such resolutions and often responds by stepping up its activities.

"We believe we have come to the point that we and the broader international community must consider anew how to respond to Iran's continued stonewalling," the United States said in a statement to the Board meeting. "We cannot allow Iran's current pattern of behavior to continue."

The United States and its three top European allies - Britain, France and Germany - again opted against seeking a resolution against Iran at this week's meeting but the United States said that if Iran did not provide the necessary cooperation soon, it would act.

It is now enriching uranium to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% of weapons grade and far above the deal's cap of 3.67%. Western powers say there is no credible civil explanation for enrichment to that level and the IAEA says no country has done so without producing a nuclear bomb.

Iran says its aims are entirely peaceful and it has the right to enrich to high levels for civil purposes.