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U.S. Presses Iran to Resume Nuclear Talks
The U.S. ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency yesterday said it is in Iran’s best interest to resume nuclear negotiations with the European Union, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Dec. 1). Ambassador Gregory Schulte said the United States hopes “that Iran will be prepared to come back to negotiations and negotiate seriously” and that Tehran has an “opportunity.” “The question is will the Iranian leadership do what's best for the Iranian people or will they continue down that dangerous path that they are going at present,” he said. A diplomat with the European Union said the strategy for upcoming talks is “for both sides to put their cards on the table and see if there is any opening for future talks.” “But the Iranians want to have their cake and eat it. They want to have a meeting at the experts level first, and then at a more senior level, and dictate the terms and content of the meeting, that is when they can resume uranium enrichment,” the diplomat added (Agence France-Presse, Yahoo!News, Dec. 1). Iran continues to defend its right to a nuclear program, AFP reported. “If we abandon the nuclear fuel cycle, in 30 or 40 years we will have no more oil and then the countries that have the nuclear fuel cycle will create some kind of nuclear OPEC and say, ‘If you want fuel, you will have to change your foreign policy and culture,’” said chief Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani. Larijani, speaking to Iranian Revolutionary Guard members, signaled that Tehran is moving away from its suspension of uranium enrichment activities. “In my view the suspensions accepted by Iran were unreasonable. The suspension of enrichment was enough to build confidence, but the halt in making (centrifuge) parts and conducting research was not justifiable,” he said. “The Westerners will have to get used to our new attitude,” he said, adding “if Iran goes nuclear, nobody will be able to challenge it because the stakes would be too high.” European diplomats said the two-year negotiation process has come to a standstill even as Moscow has sought to resolve the impasse by proposing to site a jointly operated enrichment facility in Russia. “The Iranians are digging in. Every time we speak to an official, we hear the same thing: ‘What can you do to force us to give up nuclear technology?’” said one diplomat. “We want to give the Russian proposal a chance, but let's just say a Security Council referral is still on the cards” (see GSN, Nov. 16; Siavosh Ghazi, Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Dec. 1). Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said yesterday that his country “is not helpless” in the effort to block an Iranian nuclear weapons program, the New York Sun reported. Sharon said the option of using military force against Iran “of course exists.” “Before using it, I am sure all diplomatic efforts to press Iran will be exerted,” he said. “Israel, and not Israel alone, cannot accept a nuclear Iran,” he said. Israel “is not helpless and it takes all the necessary measures” to counter the Iranian threat, Sharon added. “The efforts of the international community on Iran are all but exhausted,” Israeli Gen. Ze'evi-Farkash told the Knesset's Foreign and Security Committee earlier this week. “If by the end of March (the issue) is not referred to the Security Council, it can be said that the international attempt (to block Iran's nuclear ambitions) has reached a dead end” (Benny Avni, New York Sun, Dec. 2).
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