World powers urge Iran to stop 'stonewalling' IAEA probe
Diplomats draft resolution critical of Iran's controversial nuclear program, call for more transparency.
By News Agencies Tags: UN Israel news Iran nuclearSix world powers have drafted a resolution urging Iran to clarify the purpose of its previously secret uranium enrichment site and confirm it has no more hidden atomic work, diplomats said on Tuesday.
The draft text, backed by the United States, Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China, is to be presented at the year-end meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation governing board that starts on Thursday.
The diplomats say the draft urges Iran to stop stonewalling an IAEA probe of allegations it tried to develop nuclear weapons.
Russian and Chinese support could be significant since they have often blocked tougher action against Iran in the IAEA's governing body and the UN Security Council, including the pursuit of tough sanctions.
Nevertheless, it was not certain if the draft text would muster a majority among IAEA governors, almost half of whom belong to a developing nation bloc that includes Iran.
The IAEA said in a report last week that Iran's late admission of the Fordow enrichment plant had eroded confidence that it was not harbouring more secret activity.
The draft resolution will call on Iran to provide the agency with a timeline of the site's design and construction, diplomats familiar with its content told Reuters, asking for anonymity due to the subject's political sensitivity.
"There was a strong measure of agreement at the P5+1 meeting in Brussels last week that the (Fordow) revelation was a serious new development," one senior diplomat said.
Iran revealed the site to the IAEA in September, two years after it said construction began. The IAEA said Iran was legally bound to own up about the plant as soon as plans were drawn.
The eight-point resolution draft highlighted this and also urged Iran to cooperate fully with the agency to clear up all outstanding issues about its nuclear work.
Western powers fear Iran is using the cover of a civilian nuclear programme to develop bomb-making capability. Iran denies this and says its atomic work is for peaceful uses only, like power generation.
The last IAEA board resolution passed against Iran was in February 2006 when governors referred Tehran's case to the UN Security Council over its refusal to suspend enrichment and open up completely to IAEA inspections and investigations.
The diplomats familiar with the resolution spoke Tuesday, two days before the board meeting. They demanded anonymity because their information was confidential.
The IAEA has proposed Turkey as a venue for a uranium-exchange deal which will guarantee that the nuclear sight recently discovered will not continue to enrich uranium.
Iran has not rejected a uranium-exchange deal but first wants guarantees that it would be fully implemented, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said.
"We have not disagreed with the deal but we just want assurances that we have the required fuel when our low-enriched uranium leaves the country," he said.
The spokesman was referring to a deal brokered by the IAEA to export Iranian low-grade enriched uranium (LEU) to Russia and France, where it would be processed for use as fuel in Tehran's medical-purpose reactor.
Iran apparently rejected the deal last week, and Foreign Minister Manochehr Mottaki said the government would only accept the fuel deal if the swap of low-enriched uranium for nuclear fuel were to be effected simultaneously.
"Therefore we want 100 per cent guarantees and for this reason want the swap to be made on Iranian soil," Mehmanparast added.
Mehmanparast said Iran had every right to insist on the guarantees as the country had several times seen the world powers fail to keep their promises in the past.
"The two other alternatives would be purchasing the fuel or make the LEU processing by ourselves," the spokesman said.
With regards to Turkey's readiness store the Iran's uranium until the fuel was delivered, Mehmanparast said Iran would welcome any option which would be in line with national interests and preserving its nuclear rights.
On Monday, the IRNA news agency quoted deputy chief nuclear negotiator Ali Baqeri as saying that if the exchange deal failed, Iran would enrich the uranium itself.
The world powers have warned Iran of renewed financial sanctions if Tehran did not make a clear reply by the end of the year.
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Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast. |
| Photo by: (Reuters) |
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and the sanctions they provide, are coercive means of pursuasion used to bring an end or change to actions by a country that are deemed to be a threat to peace and stability. iran has broken NO laws by processing its own uranium, but its doing so is "perceived" as a threat. ironic, isn't it, that a certain little country in the middle-east who is screaming the loudest about iran, is one that's not only broken international law(and still is), but has ignored scores of u.n. resolutions that have resulted from its infractions. only unlike iran, it has a benefactor who sits on the unsc and vetoes any motion to apply sanctions to that country...despite itself being opposed to the activities admonished by those u.n. resolutions. i'm not very keen on the iranian regime, but neither am blind to the truth, peter... and the truth IS that there really isn't any definitive proof that it's out to build nukes, and even if it is, to assume it's doing so specifically for offensive purposes is ridiculous. the reason it would want nukes, if indeed it's pursuing them, should be obvious to anyone familiar with its military capabilities.
the unsc actions against iran are in response to the presumption that iran's nuclear program, and especially its uranium enrichment, is geared toward the acquisition of nuclear weapons. iran's "right" to produce its own nuclear fuel under international law is not in question; only its intentions are. in the case of iran, the unsc is attempting to coerce a stop to what is otherwise "legal".
In theory I agree with you that UNSC resolutions shouldn't be ignored. Israel's reasons for ignoring these resolutions for the most part revolve around security issues and non conformance by the other parties mentioned in the resolution. In other words the contexts of the resolutions are highly debatable. No such "muddying the waters" exists with the Iranian resolution. They were given a clear instruction to stop processing and they didn't. What possible reason can Iran have for ignoring this resolution? After all, they having been telling us for years that their nuclear program is for civilian power production only. Unless of course... they are lying.
What about Security Council Resolution 242? 338? 446? 465? 407? 592? 605? 1073? 1435? 1515? 1544? Security Council resolutions are only as relevant and enforceable as the parties which are the subject of them want them to be. It is not logically possible for any country that consistently ignores and defies UN resolutions affecting itself to be the loudest voice in the room demanding that specific resolutions affecting the actions another state be treated not only as enforceable but sacrosanct. The excuse that a state need not abide by UNSC resolutions that it doesn't like that are being propounded by a conspiracy of its enemies, making them invalid and/or irrelevant either works for everybody or nobody.
Eric:"iran is a sovereign nation, and it has every right to produce its own nuclear fuel; nothing says that they can`t" Sorry Eric Iran has no right to enrich uranium. They are enriching in contravention of UNSC resolutions. So the uranium stockpile they now have..... and that they now negotiate with....shouldn't even exist. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_1696
PW: "They were told to stop enriching years ago." By whom, Peter? Certainly not by the IAEA. The issue here is ENTIRELY about Iran not being forthcoming about research that was (allegedly) done between 2003-2006. Nobody - not even the UNSC - is saying that Iran can't have uranium that is enriched to 5%, because it most certainly can. The issue is that UNTIL Iran comes clean about what was done between 2003-2006 then the UNSC will impose - and has imposed - sanctions upon it.
why shouldn't they have it? it's theirs. iran is a sovereign nation, and it has every right to produce its own nuclear fuel; nothing says that they can't. and they are NOT necessarily obliged to stop just because other countries don't like the idea...which is why they haven't, and why sanctions are being used to pressure them. and that its true intent is nefarious is STILL a matter of pure conjecture based on circumstantial evidence and presumptions. but either way, there's still no basis for saying they shouldn't have the processed uranium they do, because they've broken NO laws by processing it. they've just made people nervous, just like you said.
Palestinian, for some weird reason Haaretz deems it important to publish your position and censor the obvious reply. That reply is that Iran created it's own problem. It violated the NPT, a treaty which it STILL insists to be bound by. As a results of violating that treaty, Iran has brought upon itself sanctions which will persist until it is deemed to be in TOTAL compliance by the IAEA. And Iran has dragged out it's compliance unnecessarily. Ir remains obstreperous and obstructionist. Thus Iran is NOT fulfilling it's responsibilities under the NPT which it cites as it's source of legal 'rights' in the matter. The 'world', i.e. the IAEA, is trying hard to cut Iran some slack and avoid a war which Israel is lusting for. Iran created it's problem, and ONLY Iran can solve it. It is certainly wrong to refuse to work with those trying to prevent a war.
Nobody's listening to comments from a back seat driver
Iran lost their rights for peaceful nuclear energy when they were caught red handed trying to make nuclear weapons (i.e. the plans found to make nuclear warheads, the hidden nuclear processing plant in a military installation that is not big enough to produce nuclear energy but is sufficient to create nuclear weapons) Iran must now face the facts, if they want peaceful nuclear energy they will have to adhere to the NEW realities, and this means no further enrichment on Iranian soil. If they continue down this path, it is inevitable that they will be attacked, and the leadership of Iran will be the ones responsible for the demise of their own people.
Iran should not negotiate with anybody as israel do not negotiate on its nukes those are ready to fire regardless of any circumstances.
This is the way a tyrannical regime will always respond to an impotent body such as the U.N. Security Council. Why fear a body that can't back up its own resolutions? Iran is about to bring about WWIII.
They were told to stop enriching years ago. They didn't. They have built up their Uranium stores to levels that are perceived as being "uncomfortable". The purpose of this offshore enrichment is to put everybody's mind at ease. If they get the straight Uranium swap, it's a pointless exercise. In fact it's even worse because they get 20% enriched Uranium immediately without having to spend time enriching it to that level themselves.
Make the deal and get the clarifications. The Iranian internal situation is an internal matter and the Iranians will solve that themselves. The regime is using this issue to stem dissent. Take this issue away and let nature and politics take its course inside Iran.
1. You implied that there is none and Iran must get the bomb so that the qui-pro-quo is "nuked". 2. Actually, that's sanctions. And not Obama's already-applied-but-we-notify-them sanctions. 3. If sanctions don't work, there's always force. I'm sure they'll trust us on this one and would give us their uranium if there wasn't a stronger purpose, like nukes (but it's a random guess...)
"why should iran be negotiating over issues which represent their legal right?" - palestinian Because they have been sanctioned for violating the NPT which DEFINES their legal rights as Iran is a signatory. Iran wants the full benefits of being a member of the IAEA and NPT without having complied in full with that treaty. Moreover, having signed the Additional Protocols, Iran has withdrawn from them. Iran should negotiate because the world is trying very hard to give them time to fully comply without suffering the shutdown of the Tehran Research Reactor. Iran created it's problem and only Iran can correct it's behavior to fully regain it's rights under the NPT. Iran should stop being obstreperous and start cooperating with those that are trying to cut it some slack.
Looking at the fact of the regime. See all these beatings on the streets of Teheran, the arests and torture.The weekly threats that coming mostly on fridays.this behaviour is not normal even among dictators.Listening yesterday on Canadian radio to Iranian Canadian that was reliased from prison after 1.5 month where he was beaten daily.
i totally agree with ur views,iranians should not even talk about giving up their legal n god given rights or even negotiate them,inshallah(ameen).
why should iran be negotiating over issues which represent their legal right? it makes no sense. no one can tell iran with a straight face that it is not allowed to pursue nuclear technology. not in this day and age.
The Iranians suspect (as they have every reason to suspect) that if they load their uranium on a boat that they will never, ever, see it again. Because the deal as it stands now is practically BEGGING for Israel and the USA to shout "The situation has changed!" and then demand that Russia and France renege on the quid-pro-quo. At which point, of course, Iran can kiss all their uranium goodbye. Remind me again *why* Iran should trust "the west" when the deal is so carefully - and so obviously - structured to be "You guys do this first and, yeah, trust me, we'll then see that you're looked after". Trust is a valuable commodity, and I see no reason why Iran should "trust" that Russia and France won't bow to pressure from the USA, or that the USA won't jerk to the strings of the Israelis.