Nations Take Positions in Iranian Nuclear Dispute

Iran’s refusal to suspend its nuclear program is “very worrying,” British Prime Minister Tony Blair said yesterday (see GSN, Feb. 27).

Representatives from six leading nations met this week in London to discuss their strategy for dealing with the Iran, which has ignored a U.N. Security Council deadline to freeze its uranium enrichment program.

“I think Iran is making a big miscalculation,” Blair said.

The United States and other Western powers have made the freeze a precondition to resuming talks with Iran to find a long-term solution to the nuclear crisis.

Blair reaffirmed that position yesterday, saying there was nothing to discuss unless Tehran acceded to the council’s demand.

“The question is what is the conversation about?  Given that they are saying they are not going to suspend enrichment, they are still supporting extremism in Iraq, in Lebanon, in Palestine and they are not showing any signs they are prepared to stop doing that,” he said (David Stringer, Associated Press/International Herald Tribune, Feb. 27).

In a departure from its past reluctance to speak with Tehran, however, the United States yesterday agreed to hold Iraq stabilization talks with Iran and Syria, the New York Times reported.  A planned first round would convene within two weeks in Baghdad and a later session, to involve U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, would meet in early April, according to the Times (Cooper/Semple, New York Times, Feb. 28).

Meanwhile, the United States was likely to meet opposition to ratcheting up U.N. economic sanctions against Iran.

“Our position has been consistent in that we advocate a solution to the Iranian nuclear issue through negotiation and peaceful means,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said following the London meeting.  “Sanctions are not our ultimate purpose” (Agence France-Presse I, Feb. 27).

South Africa, newly seated on the U.N. Security Council, is also likely to resist more sanctions, the South African Star reported.

South African President Thabo Mbeki met Sunday with lead Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and assured him that South Africa would oppose new economic penalties, according to sources.  South Africa would even oppose any council consideration of the issue, the Star reported (Peter Fabricius, Star, Feb. 27).

In Moscow, Iran’s ambassador to Russia yesterday cautioned the United States against taking any military action.

“If the Americans do something foolish and attack Iran, I am sure that the Iranian people will give a very instructive lesson,” said Gholamreza Ansari.  “We will be able to give a worthy, adequate response, and I don’t doubt that Iran would make such a response immediately after the attack.  We also do not limit the territory for such a response — it could be anywhere,” Ansari said (Agence France-Presse II/Khaleej Times, Feb. 27).

Back to top
About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines © Copyright 2008 by National Journal Group, Inc. The material in this section is produced independently for NTI by National Journal Group, Inc. Any reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is a violation of federal law and is strictly prohibited without the consent of the National Journal Group, Inc. All rights reserved.