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Iran Insists on Domestic Uranium Enrichment
Top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani yesterday reaffirmed Tehran’s intention to maintain its uranium enrichment program within the country, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Dec. 5). Larijani added, however, that Iran still planned to meet with representatives from France, Germany and the United Kingdom to discuss ways to resolve the nuclear crisis. The three EU nations have backed a Russian compromise proposal to operate a jointly run enrichment facility on Russian soil. “We don’t see the need for such a thing. What can be done in a few years we can do right now. It is not proper and not politically reasonable,” he said. “Very certainly, enrichment will take place in Iran, but for confidence building we decided on negotiations,” Larijani said. “We prefer to have a result on enrichment through negotiations, and then start it,” he added, noting that negotiations should be finished within “several months” (Agence France-Presse I/SpaceWar.com, Dec. 5). French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Iran’s insistence on enriching uranium amounted to a “unilateral” rejection of Moscow’s compromise proposal to transfer such work to Russia, the Christian Science Monitor reported today (Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, Dec. 6). Larijani also said Iran’s plan to construct two more nuclear reactors should not interfere with the EU negotiations, the London Independent reported today. “We plan to construct two more nuclear power plants. We will do it through an international tender. It is part of meeting our electricity needs; it is not a secret issue,” Larijani said (Anne Penketh, The Independent, Dec. 6). Larijani responded forcefully to former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion that Israel could attack Iran’s nuclear installations, AFP reported. “The Islamic republic is a tough target and there would be heavy consequences,” he said (Agence France-Presse II/SpaceWar.com, Dec. 5). Tehran is willing to risk a confrontation with the West over its nuclear work, according to a report released Saturday by the United States Institute of Peace. “Iran’s leaders appear to have calculated that they can withstand the diplomatic pressure they are likely to face … and that even if sanctions are imposed, Iran has the will and financial resources to ride them out,” Reuters quoted the report as saying. The outcome of the standoff will depend on the ability of Washington and its allies to remain united, the report says (Reuters I/Yahoo!News, Dec. 5). Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday rejected calls for punitive sanctions or military action against Iran, the Associated Press reported. He encouraged Tehran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The crisis over Iran’s nuclear work does not “have a military solution” and “can’t be settled through sanctions,” Lavrov said in a statement. “Problems can be settled through engagement ... not the isolation of ‘problem’ nations.” Lavrov said the U.N. nuclear watchdog should continue its “calm, apolitical work” in Iran (Associated Press/Jerusalem Post, Dec. 5). Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov yesterday defended Moscow’s decision to sell missile systems to Iran, IRNA reported. “The agreement conforms to all international agreements and commitments legally binding on Moscow,” Ivanov said (IRNA/BBC Monitoring, Dec. 6). The United States yesterday repeated its objections to the arms deal, Reuters reported. “I think it’s important to remember and underscore that Iran is a state sponsor of terror, they have engaged in actions that we think are hostile and unhelpful, and that we view this proposed sale in that context,” said State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli. Another senior U.S. official, however, admitted that the Bush administration could do little to contest the sale because it does not violate any international agreement. He added that it is understandable why cash-strapped Moscow would welcome such a deal with Iran. Moscow should first have pushed Iran to accept its proposed nuclear deal, said Joseph Cirincione, nonproliferation director for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “Russia has just given away one of the possible negotiating chips,” Cirincione said (Reuters II/Yahoo!News, Dec. 5).
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