France and Britain, support by the United States (US), have floated a draft statement to be issued by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Iran’s nuclear program to the 10 so-called non-permanent members of the UNSC. While Russia and China, with large trade and military ties with Iran, have not supported the statement yet, intense backroom discussions are on to get them to accede. Normally, the five veto-bearing so-called permanent states agree ahead of time before a draft is circulated. However, in this case three of the five have started socializing something without consensus perhaps to build up pressure on Iran to negotiate a deal with Russia. Even if the 10 non-veto members are to support the statement, China and Russia will have to agree with or at least abstain from voting for the statement to pass. 

Diplomats say that the draft is seeking a quick report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iranian compliance. If the report should implicate Iran, the Council will then set out to act to bring Iran to comply with the international requirements. However, Russia and China want the IAEA report to first be discussed within the IAEA before it comes back to the UNSC thus moving the issue back to the IAEA. But exasperated Western nations oppose this move arguing that this is precisely what the world community went through before the case was referred to the UNSC.