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Iran Warns U.N. Agency of Resumed Nuclear Activity By Greg Webb VIENNA — Iran raised the stakes today in the dispute over its nuclear activities, as officials here vowed to end significant portions of its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency if the crisis is formally reported to the U.N. Security Council by the agency’s governing board (see GSN, Sept. 20). “Two voluntary measures, the Additional Protocol [to Iran’s nuclear safeguards agreement with the agency] and suspension [of uranium enrichment activities], will not be continued if there is any referral from here to New York,” said Ali Asghar Soltanieh, a senior member of the Iranian delegation. He made clear, however, that Iran would continue what it considers to be its basic obligations as a party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. “There’s no doubt about it. … We are not going to withdraw from the NPT,” Soltanieh said, clarifying ambiguous comments made yesterday in Tehran by top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani. His remarks were reported differently by various news accounts, some of which said he had warned that Iran could withdraw from the treaty. The United States apparently seized on the ambiguous reporting and Ambassador Gregory Schulte told the agency board today that “Iran has threatened to quit the NPT.” Following its disclosure of a long-secret nuclear program in early 2003, Iran agreed to allow the agency to conduct monitoring activities that exceed the requirements of the treaty and Tehran’s IAEA safeguards agreement. That includes installation of cameras at nuclear facilities to verify that technicians are doing no work with uranium enrichment centrifuges. For their part, however, European and U.S. diplomats have pressed the board recently to send the Iranian issue to the Security Council for what they say is Tehran’s failure to cooperate with international nuclear monitors. Formal discussions on Iran began today after several days of intensifying background negotiations between the board's 35 members here and in national capitals. This morning saw the European Union deliver a scathing presentation, and four nations spoke in support of reporting Iran to the Security Council. The EU report described several areas in which the nuclear agency has complained of not receiving full Iranian cooperation, including Tehran’s failure to completely explain its use of a nuclear smuggling network to acquire uranium enrichment centrifuges. Sending the issue to New York “will give the Security Council an opportunity to throw its weight and authority behind the board’s resolutions. It will give the Security Council an opportunity to endorse the board’s calls for confidence-building measures, especially full suspension [of uranium enrichment activities] and for the full transparency which was first promised in October 2003,” said British Ambassador Peter Jenkins, delivering the EU statement to the board. The United States also chipped in, charging that Iran has abused the NPT-given right to seek nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. “The treaty does not allow for that right to be manipulated cynically for military ends,” Schulte said in his speech to the board. Other nations speaking in support of sending Iran to the Security Council were Australia, Canada and Japan. The key question is whether the EU would continue its lobbying effort to build consensus or whether it would insist on forcing a vote on the decision this week. It would be the first time the board voted on a nuclear safeguards matter instead of waiting to find consensus, according to an official familiar with agency affairs. Schulte asserted that “a growing majority” of board members now supports the Security Council move, but other diplomats have made it clear that the majority excludes several key nations, including Russia and China, both of which have veto power in New York. “While Iran is cooperating with the IAEA, while it is not enriching uranium and observing a moratorium, while IAEA inspectors are working in the country, it would be counterproductive to report this question to the U.N. Security Council,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Reuters today. Smaller powers have also resisted. The so-called Nonaligned Movement met this morning and agreed that the Iranian nuclear matter “should remain in the purview of the IAEA,” according to a text of the NAM position seen today. This week’s board meeting has completed all other business and recessed today after the NAM countries requested more time to complete their statement. Iran also deferred its presentation, choosing to wait until all others have spoken.
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