Europeans Begin Work on Iran Resolution

The Associated Press – Key European countries have begun work on a resolution asking the International Atomic Energy Agency to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council, and the United States is lobbying member nations to vote for the measure early next month, diplomats revealed Tuesday.

A draft text that was read to The Associated Press by a European diplomat accredited to the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency stopped short of the calls for sanctions sought by the United States and its closest backers.

Instead, it urges the 15-nation council to press Tehran "to extend full and prompt cooperation to the agency" in its more than three-year probe of suspect nuclear activities. It also asks the council to make clear to Iran "that additional transparency measures are indispensable" if it hopes to prove to the world that it does not want to make nuclear weapons.

The diplomat agreed to share the confidential information on condition of anonymity.