UN Security Council to meet over Iran's stockpile of uranium
The United Nations Security Council will meet behind closed doors on Wednesday over Iran's growing stock of nearly weapons grade uranium, diplomats said on Monday.
The United Nations Security Council will meet behind closed doors on Wednesday over Iran's growing stock of nearly weapons grade uranium, diplomats said on Monday.
Six UN Security Council members—France, Greece, Panama, South Korea, Britain, and the US—called for the urgent meeting to discuss Iran's non-compliance with IAEA requests for information on undeclared nuclear material, the sources said.
They want Iran to provide the UN watchdog with "the information necessary to clarify outstanding issues related to undeclared nuclear material detected at multiple locations in Iran," diplomats said.
The request also calls for discussions on Iran's obligations under its safeguards agreement with the IAEA.
The IAEA has warned of Iran’s rapid uranium enrichment to up to 60% purity, close to the roughly 90% weapons-grade level.
Western states argue that uranium enrichment to such high levels is unjustifiable for civilian purposes and unprecedented outside of nuclear weapons programs.
Tehran has denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon.
Iran’s UN mission has not commented on the news.
In 2015, Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Britain, Germany, France, the US, Russia, and China, trading sanctions relief for nuclear program restrictions.
The US withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 under President Trump, prompting Iran to scale back its commitments.
Britain, France, and Germany have informed the UN Security Council of their readiness to trigger a "snapback" of international sanctions to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, a measure they will lose the ability to enact on October 18th.
Trump has instructed his UN envoy to collaborate with allies on reimposing sanctions.
On Monday, Moscow's envoy to the UN nuclear watchdog said that the JCPOA remains the cornerstone for future Iran nuclear talks.
Speaking to Izvestia, Mikhail Ulyanov warned that the current deadlock risks uncontrolled escalation, emphasizing the JCPOA's irreplaceable role as a starting point for new negotiations, despite its "half-disassembled state" and IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, calling JCPOA "an empty shell" last month.
Bruised by its falling out with Europe and feeling encircled by US-led sanctions, Moscow is likely to act as a spoiler, neither allowing its Mideast ally to be decisively weakened nor fully insulated from Western demands over its nuclear program.
Russia said this week that it seeks an agreement along the lines of an international nuclear deal in 2015 it signed onto along with the United States, signaling it might join the effort to press Tehran on its escalating nuclear enrichment.
The remarks may suggest Moscow believes Iran might limit its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.
Russia has a vested interest in preventing this issue from escalating into a full-blown crisis. Moscow sees Iran’s economic collapse—driven by US sanctions and chronic mismanagement—as a liability, weakening Tehran’s regional influence.
Iran’s diminishing ability to project power in Syria and Iraq threatens Russia’s own strategic foothold, particularly in Syria, where it has invested heavily. A destabilized Iran could also complicate Russia’s broader geopolitical maneuvers, including its efforts to counter Western influence in the Middle East.
Leave Iran in limbo
Russia benefits from an Iran that is economically viable but not fully reintegrated into the global system—dependent enough on Moscow to remain aligned, yet stable enough to prevent regional turmoil.
Iran is desperate for sanctions relief, but is unlikely to fully abandon its nuclear ambitions, which it views as a core element of national security. It could be persuaded by Russia, however, to limit certain aspects of its nuclear program in exchange for economic concessions without fully relinquishing its capabilities.
However, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei remains firm in his opposition to direct negotiations with the US, a stance rooted in ideology and mistrust.
In 2013, his policy of “heroic flexibility” allowed for the eventual deal to come about in 2015—the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as it’s known officially. But the context has since shifted. Trump’s withdrawal from the deal in 2018 as well as Iran’s deepening reliance on Russia and China have hardened his position.
Any renewed talks would require guarantees that Iran is unlikely to trust, making a diplomatic breakthrough more difficult.
Avoiding war
Meanwhile, Western powers are increasingly considering a snapback of UN sanctions in the next few months. That could escalate tensions to the point of military confrontation—particularly with Israel, which has consistently warned that it will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
A direct conflict involving Israel and the U.S. would not only destabilize the region but also undermine Russia’s influence, disrupt energy markets, and divert global attention from Moscow’s priorities, including its war in Ukraine.
Russia’s actual ability to mediate between Iran, Israel, and the U.S. is hard to gauge. US president Donald Trump says he has a good relationship with Russian counterpart Valdimir Putin, which can be a positive.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on good terms with Putin too. Although the relationship has been complicated with Moscow's growing military and economic partnership with Tehran, the Kremlin may still be in a position to discourage Tel Aviv from full-scale military action.
Ultimately, Russia’s interest lies in preventing an uncontrolled escalation that could disrupt its strategic ambitions. Moscow does not seek to resolve the Iran nuclear crisis but to manage it—keeping tensions high enough to maintain leverage over both Iran and the West while avoiding outright war.