European powers and the United States are pushing ahead with a plan to censure Iran for its poor cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog at a meeting of the board this week, despite Tehran’s offer to limit its stockpile of highly enriched uranium , diplomats told AFP.

Tensions between Iran and Western powers have flared repeatedly since a 2015 deal that halted Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief fell apart.

In recent years, Tehran has reduced its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by stepping up its nuclear activities, disabling surveillance devices to monitor the nuclear program and banning UN inspectors.

A plan by Britain, France, Germany and the United States to introduce a new resolution against Iran comes as concerns over the rapid expansion of its nuclear program have fueled fears that Tehran may seek to develop a nuclear weapon.

According to the IAEA, Tehran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to have enriched uranium to 60 percent, a short step short of the 90 percent level required for atomic weapons.

Iran has always denied that it was seeking a nuclear weapon.

But a confidential IAEA report, seen by AFP on Tuesday, showed Iran had further increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in recent months.

Also, Iran’s total stockpile of enriched uranium increased to about 6,604.4 kilograms as of October 26.

However, Iran committed to halting the expansion of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium during recent talks with the agency and has since implemented preparatory steps to achieve this, the report said.

Following the report, a senior diplomat told AFP that Western powers would press ahead with the resolution they planned to introduce late on Tuesday, expressing “skepticism” about Iran’s “rather dishonest” last-minute offer to limit stock.

Another senior diplomat said that “based on past experience,” Iran’s recent offer would likely “not hold up” once a resolution is tabled.

– “Too Little Too Late” –

With the planned censure, diplomats aim to ratchet up diplomatic pressure on Iran to return to compliance and address the IAEA’s long-standing concerns.

A similar resolution was passed by the agency’s board in June.

According to a confidential draft of the censorship seen by AFP, Western powers this time demand that a “comprehensive report” be issued by the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi.

The report would seek to shed more light on Iran’s nuclear activities, including “a full account” of Tehran’s cooperation with the agency on traces of uranium found at undeclared sites.

The planned resolution follows a trip by Grossi to Tehran last week for talks with President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials in a bid to improve cooperation.

However, “Grossi’s visit to Tehran was … too little and too late to avoid a censure from the board,” Kelsey Davenport, an expert at the Arms Control Association, told AFP.

His visit was “a missed opportunity for Pezeshkian to demonstrate that he is serious about de-escalation,” she said.

“Taking concrete steps to increase IAEA oversight of Iran’s nuclear program and answer the agency’s questions about past undeclared nuclear activities would have quelled speculation that Iran is engaged in illicit nuclear activities,” Davenport said.

– The return of Trump –

Earlier this month, Iran expressed hope that talks on its nuclear program would be conducted “away from political pressures and considerations” but warned it would retaliate if a resolution was passed.

Grossi’s visit was seen as one of the last chances for diplomacy before Donald Trump returns as US president in January.

During his first term, from 2017 to 2021, Trump imposed a policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran.

This included Washington tearing up a deal on Iran’s nuclear program that had been struck under his predecessor, Barack Obama, in 2015.

The landmark deal with the United States, China, Russia, France, Germany and Britain offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.

Efforts to revive the agreement have so far failed.