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Iran Rejects Russian Uranium Enrichment Proposal
Iran yesterday rejected a Russian proposal to enrich uranium for Iranian nuclear power reactors and threatened to leave the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty after being reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency to the U.N. Security Council, the New York Times reported (see GSN, March 10). These were the first official comments from Iran since last week’s IAEA board meeting. “We had told the Russians that we will not give up our research and development program and the proposal is ruled out if this part of our plan is ignored,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi, referring to small-scale enrichment activities resumed by Iran last month. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamyinin, was quoted by Russia’s state new agency as saying that Moscow was studying Iran’s response to the proposal, and that “adjustments will be made.” “Russia continues to call for a peaceful, diplomatic resolution to Iran's nuclear program,” he said Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said yesterday that Iran is also considering exiting the nonproliferation treaty. “If we reach a point where the existing mechanisms do not provide for the right of the Iranian people, then the policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran would be possibly revised and reconsidered,” he said. Asefi said, though, that leaving the treaty “was not on Iran’s agenda yet.” Mottaki added that Iran “will not use oil as a foreign policy instrument,” reversing an earlier statement by the interior minister. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed no surprise at Iran’s comments. “I think the Iranians have said a number of times that they were interested, they were interested, but they really never demonstrated that they were interested in the Russian proposal as the Russians had actually put it forward. So I don't think it's very surprising,” she said. She rejected suggestions that additional talks take place before the matter is addressed at the United Nations. “I think the discussions are now in New York,” she said, adding that Russia, China, Europe and others have always known that referral of the case to the Security Council meant discussion in New York would begin (Nazila Fathi, New York Times, March 13). Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said another round of talks between Moscow and Tehran would take place this week, the Associated Press reported. A source told Interfax that the meeting could occur tomorrow and Wednesday in Moscow. “Iran in the last day or two appealed to us again to hold consultations,” Lavrov said today. “'They will take place in the nearest future.” The foreign minister added that he was unhappy with Iran’s conduct during negotiations. “We are very disappointed with the way Iran has been conducting itself in these negotiations, absolutely not helping those who want to provide for finding peaceful ways to resolve the whole situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear program,” he said (Associated Press/New York Times, March 13). Russian lawmaker Konstantin Kosachyov added that Iran’s actions were not helping its Security Council case, the Washington Post reported. Interfax quoted Kosachyov as saying that Iran’s rejection of the deal “destroys the last and real possibility of a compromise.” “By all accounts, Tehran’s decision will seriously radicalize the upcoming debates over the IAEA report in the U.N. Security Council, since trust in Tehran’s plans and ambitions has been strongly undermined,” he said (Karl Vick, Washington Post, March 13). Russian Ambassador to South Korea Gleb Ivashentsov said today that Moscow’s offer to Iran still stands, Agence France-Presse reported. “The issue should be settled through diplomatic talks and through negotiations,” he said. “We offered to enrich uranium in Russia. That offer still stands” Agence France-Presse/ChannelNewsAsia.com, March 13). Iran, meanwhile, said it would not comply with a Security Council resolution demanding that it stop uranium enrichment, Agence France-Presse reported. Foreign Ministry spokesman Asefi, when asked if Iran would comply with such a resolution, said, “Never” (Agence France-Presse II/DNAIndia.com, March 12). The five permanent Security Council members met privately Friday to discuss the issue ahead of a planned public meeting this week, Agence France-Presse reported. The talks between ambassadors from China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States lasted 90 minutes. Details of the discussions were sketchy. “It was a good meeting,” said French envoy Jean-Marc de La Sabliere. “We talked about our objectives, how the Security Council can reinforce the role of the IAEA,” said Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya. When asked if a 14-day deadline for stopping nuclear work was discussed as some wire services had reported, Wang said, “No.” The five nations are working on a statement that contains a firm response to Iran’s actions. A draft written by the United Kingdom and France calls “upon Iran without delay: to re-establish full, sustained and verifiable suspension of all enrichment related and reprocessing (for plutonium) activities.” The U.N. nuclear watchdog must then “report to the council within 14 days on the implementation by Iran of the actions it has requested,” according to the statement, which contains no language on sanctions (Agence France-Presse III/Yahoo!News, March 11). The Associated Press reported that the British/French draft calls for Iran to stop construction on its heavy-water reactor as well as all uranium enrichment. A second proposal said the Security Council must act “to reinforce the authority of the IAEA” and persuade Iran to live up to its Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty obligations. “It's more about noting with concern and expressing serious concern, calling for transparency, reminding all states, not just Iran, of their obligations. There's no threat of anything and there’s certainly no threat of measures or next steps,” said a diplomat close to the talks. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton said that if the council takes no action, Washington might work with allies to impose separate sanctions. “We are going to press for as vigorous a response in the council as we can get, and hope that that gets the Iranians’ attention,” he said. “This is a test for the council. And if the Iranians do not back off from their continued aggressive pursuit of nuclear weapons, we will have to make a decision of what the next step will be” (Nick Wadhams, Associated Press II/Yahoo!News, March 11). European Union officials, while still open to a diplomatic answer, said sanctions were possible, the Associated Press reported. “The Security Council is not the end of the diplomatic route,” said EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. “It is clear that we can still reach a diplomatic solution ... we don't want to isolate Iran, and Iran should also not isolate Iran,” she said Friday. European Union Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana said that “everything is on the table, everything is open.” “We are only at the beginning. I don't exclude sanctions but it depends on the type of sanctions. We certainly don't want to target the Iranian people,” he said (Veronika Oleksyn, Associated Press III, March 11). U.S. Senator Joseph Biden (D-Del.) said that Iran could be stopped with diplomacy, Reuters reported. “I think we can stop them from having a nuclear weapon short of war,” he said yesterday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Senator George Allen (R-Va.) added, “Ultimately, you never want to take military action off the table. But you never want it to get that far. But if necessary, it is an option. But it is not one that is desirable.” Both said that the United States must not work unilaterally and that President George W. Bush should seek the approval of Congress for military action against Iran. “He has to do that,” Biden said. “I believe he should, and I believe he would if necessary,” Allen added (Reuters/New York Times, March 13). British Foreign Minister Jack Straw is expected to say in a speech today that the Security Council must consider additional talks with Tehran, Agence France-Presse reported. Council action needs to be “incremental and reversible,” he is expected to say. International consensus is also needed and should “leave the door open for negotiations with Iran at any stage.” “Security Council involvement does not mean an end to our efforts to find a negotiated solution. It marks a new phase in diplomatic efforts,” Straw is expected to say (Agence France-Presse IV, March 13). Former U.N. and U.S. weapons inspector David Kay said there might be no stopping Iran’s nuclear program, Agence France-Presse reported. “I'm afraid that we probably are past the point where there is any meaningful alternative other than military action to stop the Iranians if they are determined to go ahead. And I don't see that as a possibility,” Kay said yesterday on NBC’s “Today Show.” “My great fear is indeed we will have to learn to live with Iran, and all its terrorist connections, with the bomb,” he added, but declined to say if Tehran was working toward nuclear weapons (Agence France-Presse V/NCR-Iran.org, March 12). Elsewhere, a mineral exploitation deal between Venezuela and Iran is prompting fears that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez could provide Tehran with uranium, the Washington Times reported. The mineral deal could include shipments of uranium to Iran, according to Venezuelan opposition members and press reports. “Now they say I am sending uranium to make atomic bombs from here, from the Venezuelan Amazon to send directly to the Persian Gulf. This shows they have no limit in their capacity to invent lies,” Chavez said last week (Kelly Hearn, Washington Times, March 13).
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