U.S.: Turkey-Brazil nuclear swap deal with Iran is too little too late
Turkey and Brazil announced a deal with Iran under which it would send some of its low-enriched uranium abroad, mirroring a previous IAEA proposal which Tehran later abandoned.
By ReutersThe United States on Friday brushed aside Brazil and Turkey's efforts to craft a nuclear fuel deal for Iran, saying Tehran must face new UN sanctions as soon as possible over its escalating atomic violations.
Senior U.S. officials, briefing reporters after a week of hectic diplomacy on Iran, said a fuel swap deal unveiled by Brazil and Turkey on May 17 did not address the core concern that Tehran's nuclear program is aimed at producing weapons.
"The underlying problem is that Iran continues to enrich uranium, and that is what it is obliged to suspend under three (UN Security) Council resolutions," said one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"In our view the joint declaration falls short of what's necessary. But regardless of this ... proposal, it is important that we proceed to New York to adopt the resolution."
Turkey and Brazil -- both nonpermanent members of the Security Council -- announced a deal with Iran under which it would send some of its low-enriched uranium abroad, mirroring a proposal floated by the International Atomic Energy Agency in October but which Tehran later abandoned.
The U.S. officials said the proposed deal, which Brazil and Turkey have said should at least delay Security Council moves toward new sanctions, was too little too late and could not buy more time for Iran.
Meanwhile on Friday, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said that he was "certain" the deal brokered by Brazil and Turkey with Iran was the right thing to do.
One U.S. official noted that when the idea of the fuel deal was first proposed Iran had an estimated 1,200 kilograms of uranium but that it had since nearly doubled that stockpile. That means even if Iran sent some abroad it would still have enough to build one nuclear weapon.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would likely meet Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Washington on Tuesday to compare notes on Iran, said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley.
But the senior U.S. officials made clear the new fuel proposal will in no way slow the Washington-led drive to slap new UN sanctions in Iran, with the resolution expected to move to the full Security Council within weeks.
"That was in essence grasping at straws, that somehow this would help resolve the issue," a second official said.
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Brazil's Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, on May 18, 2010, defended a fuel swap deal with Iran created by Brazil and Turkey. |
| Photo by: AP |
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I'm no fan of Iran, but the US is just looking for excuses at this point. The deal was identical to the US's own deal and the situation in Iran has not changed at all since the US proposal fell through. Clinton and Obama are just mad that America isn't the be-all-end-all superpower anymore.
It appears that certain equipment that was open for inspection in one of Iran's Nuclear Facilities has "vanished into thin air" .. Its quite a complicated piece of equipment, which collects the impurities found when enriching uranium. Could well be that another facility has required said equipment, which means that its possible that Iran has now a number of said facilities. Lets assume that Iran requires nuclear energy for keeping the lights burning, then why so much secrecy, threats,midnight deals,anger,retracting and using every trick in the book to get off the hook ? Only one answer, Iran is building a nuclear weapon to be used shortly. Good day to all.
who come from the radical pseudo-communist PT (paritdo dos trabalhadores party) received illegal presidential election funding from the likes of Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro. Such allegations came out in the Brazilian newspapaers but since hushed up. (note all many PT members wear the beard as a symbol of allegiance to Castro , their anti-Yankee Hero) Their main agenda is based on attacking U.S. (imperialist) interests wherever they may be with the shared objective with Iran, Russia, Turkey to weaken American influence and power. I´m glad to know that the U.S., even under the Obama administration, managed to finally wake up and smell the putrid coffee...
Iran accepted IAEA's offer IN PRINCIPLE
The support turks are giving to the iranian and other islamic jihadist regimes in ME is destabilizing the region and will bring a war which can be much more than a local conflict.
Do you want a war in this region?Nobody wants to understand that if Turkey cant manage,the region will be in a big crash.Iran is different from Iraq.Turkey knows that from history.And after an air strike all allies leave this region but Turkey will be here forever.
not many of Turks are supporting arabs.Israeli people should always know that we have always good relations throughout the history.And we know that arabs have stabbed us in the back in world war I.we never forget that.what's going on is only erdogan's policy.hope it'll change.
Wow thats a BIG suprise.
US is not the Almighty. Let the Member Nations have a voice as to whether this proposal has validity, put it to a vote.
US is not the Almighty. Let the Member Nations have a voice as to whether this proposal has validity, put it to a vote.
Because Israel is calling the shots, not the US.
The U.N. has essentially become an Islamic organization. It is useless and anti-Israel, so of course those that are pro-Arab want an open vote at the U.N. Thankfully, there is a Security Council which is not beholden to Islamic delusion and its propensity, if not commitment to violence.