By John Irish and Francois Murphy

PARIS/VIENNA (Reuters) – European powers are pushing for a new resolution against Iran by the U.N. atomic watchdog next week to pressure Tehran for poor cooperation as the world awaits the return of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. diplomats claim.

Such resolutions risk further diplomatic tension with Iran. It has hit back at earlier and further criticism from the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors by ramping up its nuclear activities and excluding top IAEA inspectors, raising Western concerns about its goals.

The resolution would direct the IAEA to issue a so-called “comprehensive report” on Iran’s nuclear activities, in addition to the usual quarterly ones, that would describe in more detail and highlight problem areas such as Iran’s continued failure to explain the of uranium found. on undeclared places.

The aim is to force Iran to return to the negotiating table to agree new restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for relief from sanctions – both less far-reaching than those in a 2015 nuclear deal with major powers from which Trump pulled the United States United in 2018. , causing it to collapse.

In the deal, Iran accepted severe restrictions on its nuclear activities and tougher international inspections as Western powers sought to lower the risk of conflict between Iran and its regional rivals by reducing its nuclear capabilities.

“Our concerns about Iranian nuclear activity are well known. It seems natural to ask the IAEA for a thorough report. It then provides a basis for dealing with Iranian behaviour,” said one European diplomat, one of five who said France, Britain and Germany are pushing for a resolution.

Western efforts to hold talks with Iran in time for a new deal ahead of the 2015 deal’s “end day” next October have been largely predicated on the assumption that Trump’s opponent, Kamala Harris, will win the presidential election , given Trump’s aversion to negotiating with Iran. .

The United States was not the driving force behind the resolution but is still expected to support it, as it did with the last resolution against Iran in June, diplomats said. European powers seeking a resolution, known as the “E3”, are discussing the project with the outgoing US administration.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi was also not keen on a comprehensive report as he engages in delicate diplomacy aimed at getting more immediate explanations about Iran’s uranium traces and persuading him to expand his agency’s oversight of its nuclear activities .

“We (already) offer this in real terms,” ​​Grossi told a news conference in September when asked about the possibility of a comprehensive report.

“My approach is to try to solve the problems now and not have the prospect of some kind of punitive action at some point in the future. My idea is to try to make the cooperation work now.”

tension

Grossi arrived in Tehran on Wednesday for talks and his first meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian since Pezeshkian took office in July, which Grossi hopes will help break the long-standing deadlock on key issues.

Underscoring the tension between Grossi’s goal of immediate concessions and Western powers’ aim to pressure Iran in talks on nuclear restrictions next year, a senior Iranian official said: “Tehran’s reaction to a resolution could be limitations on diplomatic and technical cooperation ( with the IAEA).”

Whether the incoming Trump administration would be open to negotiating what some diplomats have called a “less for less” deal compared to the one in 2015 is an open question.

What concessions and promises Grossi gets from Iran will be closely watched for signs of Iran’s openness to talks.

Pezeshkian said Tehran will not be able to ignore its main enemy, the United States, and must “treat its enemies with leniency”, state media reported on Tuesday, a week after Trump won the US presidential election .

While there have been no reports that the Trump administration plans to hold talks with Tehran after taking office in January, the president-elect said during the campaign: “I don’t want to hurt Iran, but they can’t have nuclear weapons.”

(Additional reporting by Parisa Hafezi in Dubai; Writing by Francois Murphy; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)