Top Iran lawmaker: We could leave the NPT
Hardline lawmaker's statement comes after IAEA resolution censuring Tehran over its nuclear program.
By The Associated Press Tags: IAEA Israel news Iran nuclearA conservative Iranian legislator warned Saturday that his country may pull out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in response to a resolution by the United Nations nuclear watchdog censuring Tehran over its nuclear program, a move that could seriously undermine world attempts to prevent Iran from developing atomic weapons.
Iran's official news agency quoted a hardline political analyst who made the same point, another indication the idea could be gaining steam.
If Iran withdraws from the treaty, its nuclear program would no longer be subject to oversight by the UN nuclear agency. That in turn would be a significant blow to efforts to ensure that no enriched uranium isdiverted from use as fuel to warhead development.
The lawmaker's threat came a day after the board of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency passed a resolution demanding Tehran immediately stop building its newly revealed nuclear facility near the holy city of Qom and freeze uranium enrichment.
"The parliament, in its first reaction to this illegal and politically-motivated resolution, can consider the issue of withdrawing from NPT," Karamirad was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency, referring to the treaty.
"The parliament ... can [also] block the entry of IAEA inspectors to the country," he said.
Karamirad, a member of parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said Iran was determined to continue its nuclear activities.
Karamirad does not speak for the government but his statements reflect hardline thinking that the government usually pursues.
Iranian lawmakers threatened to pull the country out of the nonproliferation treaty in 2006, during another time of increased pressure by the UN over Tehran's nuclear program. Iran backed down, and the government has said in the past that it has no intention of withdrawing from the treaty.
Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's chief delegate to the IAEA, also dismissed the IAEA's fresh demands, saying Saturday on state television that "Iran will limit its cooperation with the UN. agency to its treaty obligations and will not cooperate beyond that."
"Our first reaction to this resolution is that they [IAEA] should not expect us to do what we did several times in the past few months when we cooperated beyond our obligations to remove ambiguities," Soltanieh said.
Soltanieh stressed the resolution won't stop Iran from continuing to enrich uranium.
He said the country's nuclear activities will not be interrupted by resolutions from the UN nuclear agency's board, the UN Security Council or even the threat of military strikes against the facilities.
Friday's resolution - and the resulting vote of the IAEA's 35-nation decision-making board - were significant on several counts.
Iranian officials have shrugged off the resolution's approval by 25 members of the 35-nation board, including the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. The vote marked a rare measure of unity from the six world powers on Iran.
Moscow and Beijing have traditionally cautioned against efforts to punish Iran for its defiance over its nuclear program, either preventing new Security Council sanctions or watering down their potency.
The IAEA resolution criticized Iran for defying a UN Security Council ban on uranium enrichment - the source of both nuclear fuel and the fissile core of warheads.
It also censured Iran for secretly building a uranium enrichment facility, known as Fordo, and demanded that it immediately suspend further construction.
The resolution noted that IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei cannot confirm that Tehran's nuclear program is exclusively geared toward peaceful uses, and expressed serious concern that Iranian stonewalling of an IAEA probe means the possibility of military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program cannot be excluded.
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Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's chief delegate to the IAEA. |
| Photo by: (AP) |
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The day Israel bombs Iran will be the day Israel is no more and it will be it's own fault and payback for all the killing it does in the name of "defence."
Iran did sign, thus got a lot of help in its nuclear efforts, and keeps cheating. Why?
And he did not deny , when asked at Columbia University, that there are any gays in Iran? And he did not send 50,000 Iranian "Children of the keys" to blow up with their bodies Iraqi mines? And he did not organize the kidnapping of 66 Americans from US Teheran embassy, and keeping them prisoners for 444 days? And he does not supply terrorists, like Hezbolla, with rockets and money?
I wonder why? Can you explain why?
Why not? Israel has not joined the NPT and they have more nuclear weapons than anyone in the Middle East! Maybe when Israel reveals its arsenal and joins the NPT then Iran should be required to do so. Until then, why?
Sovereignty is a unilateral decision made under circumstances the UN can only suggest. The 2005 crossing agreement Israel has still exists. It was used to stop civilians of Gaza from fleeing the war zone created by Cast Lead.
The door is right there Mr.Soltanieh.Who would like to sit next to the representant of a pariah state that is not only killing own people,but also wants to annihilate another country? This disgrace of international community called Iran should leave voluntarily before it's too late and is kicked out by others.
And were supposed to prevent weapons from going through.
Its rockets from Israel's borders, the ones that have been used and are planned to be used by Hezbolla and Hamas.
That's even if we believe any such journalistic report. Israel so far has never attacked Iran, but Iran has attacked Israel via its proxies, who they arm, pay, and command.
"The UN cannot end the sovereignty of any state" "Or maybe EU monitors who fled their posts at the Gaza-Egypt border after Hamas fired three time in the air? Do you know how pitiful the UN and the EU look from the Middle East? Neither Arabs, nor Israelis take you seriously." The UN can create, and it can end sovereignity. Maybe the UN should be taken seriously. Now we have G 20. Not G8 anymore. It is just a matter of time the permanent members will not be anymore permanent. There is no such resolution to secure the Israelian - Gaza Border. So what are you talking about with fleeing the border ?
Iran should pull out of the NPT. It is clearly a politically motivated ensemble. US needs to worrie about health reform instead of fighting Israel's self inflected battles! Leave Iran the hell alone! Let some inspectors into israel's sites. This double standard is replusive and outragous!
There is very little time left. if Iran does withdraw, it is now timw for the IAF to take their sites out. Without a doubt, they have long ago drawn up the plans to take out the Iranian sites, and have the bunker busters and cruise missles to do so. The U.S. sent the bunker busters to Israel during the Lebanese conflict. Israel has NO choice-you CANNOT let Iran get nukes. There is no more time to waste.
The UN cannot end the sovereignty of any state. Please do some reading. UN troops to be sent? Ooh that's scary! Like the ones in Africa who prevented the Ruanda massacre? Or the ones in the Balkans who prevented Sebrenica? Or maybe EU monitors who fled their posts at the Gaza-Egypt border after Hamas fired three time in the air? Do you know how pitiful the UN and the EU look from the Middle East? Neither Arabs, nor Israelis take you seriously.
"Israel has the continuous right to defend itself against such threats, but has never declared that it wanted destroy Iran." You should read more often the haaretz news. Last year (October) Israel wanted to attack Iran but was denied by President Bush in doing so. The exact plans have been posted on this website. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1071490.html By the way, every state has the right do defend itself. This is called sovereignty. It is not a special Israel thing. The United Nations can end such sovereignity by deciding this in the UN security council. As an effect UN troups could be send.
Wow !!! How devastating that would be!!!!! Who cares-???? The y don't cooperate with the IAEA anyhow. The IAEA admits they can't verify what is going on with Iran and their nuclear program. So what difference would it make ??
If you bother them about their bomb, they will pull out from the NPT and that's it.
God, that's now really scary!
How can #4 say that Israel has not threatened Iran. Iran should leave the NPT treaty until Israel joins.
was created for. Treating countries fairly was not one of the founding principles.
Iran has used their NPT membership to acquire nuclear assets supplied by third party countries including reactors and centrifuges. Under international law these assets must be handed back if Iran withdraws from the NPT. Furthermore Iran is still responsible for violations committed while a signatory to the NPT. Iran's withdrawal from the NPT will precipitate an international crisis that can only end in military action.
Whatever you may think of Iran and its President the duplicity of the IAEA is now clearly in the open. It would appear that this once respected organisation is now nothing more than a tool of the United States, one with which the US (and Israel?) hopes to use in order to 'legitimise' a confrontation (sanctions / embargo / military strike) with Iran.
Ahamadinejad has declared many times that the aim of his country was to erase "zionist entity" from the map. He says that Shoa is a lie. Israel has the continuous right to defend itself against such threats, but has never declared that it wanted destroy Iran.
benefiting from being an IAEA member Israel is doing exactly that. Reaping the benefits of being a member of the IAEA whilst not fully supporting the IAEA by signing an NPT agreement.
from the NPT treaty which is allowable under the provisions of the treaty. They can rejoin the treaty after Israel signs it and allows inspections.
I am sure that would make a huge difference !