Shafaq News / European Union diplomats trying to break a deadlock in talks over an Iran nuclear accord have proposed a significant new concession to Tehran aimed at speedily ending a U.N. investigation into the Islamic Republic’s past atomic activities.

A key sticking point in 16-month-old talks to revive the 2015 deal, which put limits on Iran’s nuclear programs in exchange for sanctions relief, has been a probe by the International Atomic Energy Agency into undeclared nuclear material found in Iran in 2019.

That material, Israel and Western officials contend, is evidence that Iran once had a clandestine atomic-weapons program, something Tehran has long denied, saying it is only interested in a civilian nuclear program.

In the nuclear negotiations, Iran has pressed for an end to the investigation since at least March. U.S. and European officials, meanwhile, have said they won’t negotiate over the investigation by the IAEA, an independent watchdog, which they say is unrelated to the nuclear deal.

A draft text of the proposal from the EU, viewed by The Wall Street Journal, would have Iran agree to address the IAEA’s concerns before the pact takes effect, saying Iran is expected to answer the agency’s questions “with a view to clarifying them.”

If Tehran cooperates, the U.S. and the other parties in the talks would urge the IAEA Board of member states to close the investigation, the text says.

The EU team, which chairs the talks and has responsibility for drafting the agreement, has said this is the final text it will offer to revive the nuclear deal.

If all the parties to the accord, the U.S., Iran, Germany, France, the U.K., Russia and China agree to the proposed text, it would put the International Atomic Energy Agency into a difficult spot, with the implementation of the deal resting largely on its assessment of Tehran’s cooperation.

(The Wall Street Journal)