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IAEA Director General Could Present Russian Nuclear Compromise Deal to Iran This Weekend
International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei could visit Iran this weekend in hopes of brokering a deal over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program, Reuters reported yesterday (see GSN, Nov. 15). Moscow’s envoy to the agency yesterday briefed ElBaradei on the proposal for a Russian-Iranian joint venture that would allow Tehran to continue uranium enrichment activities if they take place on Russian soil, Reuters reported. A source close to the agency said ElBaradei’s trip would go forward if the plan were to gain approval from board members such as France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, which have pushed for Security Council referral of Iran’s dossier; nations such as China and Russia that have opposed referral; and developing nations with an interest in increased access to nuclear power. “But there’s still quite a lot of water left to flow under the bridge before a done deal (among key board members),” said the source. “Without that, ElBaradei’s not likely to go and risk such a sensitive visit backfiring in his face.” The official from an EU power said ElBaradei seemed “optimistic that the Russian deal could go through” and was favored making the trip. ElBaradei’s latest report on Tehran’s activities is expected to be released to members of the agency’s Board of Governors later this week, ahead of the board meeting scheduled to begin Nov. 24. Diplomats said the report would be more positive than its predecessor, which prompted the board to pass a resolution critical of Tehran in September. “We expect the (new) report to be very short ... there will be positive elements in it. Iran permitted the IAEA to visit Parchin (military test site) and early results show no signs of nuclear materials,” said one EU diplomat (Mark Heinrich, Reuters, Nov. 15). Two agency inspectors are in Isfahan this week , the Iranian Fars News Agency reported yesterday. The experts are scheduled to visit nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Natanz before departing on Nov. 23, Fars reported (Fars News Agency/BBC Monitoring, Nov. 15). Russia’s nuclear talks with Iran will continue, Russian Security Council chief Igor Ivanov said in an interview published today by in RIA Novosti. Ivanov also said Iran’s negotiations with the EU powers ought to resume, the Associated Press reported (Associated Press, Nov. 16). Meanwhile, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried said yesterday “the world should contemplate a nuclear weapons-armed Iran with the greatest of concern.” He said the International Atomic Energy Agency must “act with determination and resolve for all of us,” AP reported (Susanna Loof, Associated Press, Nov. 15).
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