Iran, IAEA to Discuss Better Nuclear Cooperation

International Atomic Energy Agency officials hope to visit Iran “as early as practicable” to follow up on a recent Iranian offer to assist the agency’s efforts to research the country’s nuclear activities, agency spokesman Melissa Fleming said yesterday (see GSN, June 25).

Iranian nuclear envoy Ali Larijani met Friday with agency head Mohamed ElBaradei, and the two agreed to “develop an action plan for resolving outstanding issues” about Iran’s nuclear capabilities, Fleming said.

The U.S. State Department expressed doubt that Iran’s actions would reduce concern over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions or lead to Iran heeding U.N. Security Council calls for a nuclear freeze.

“I don’t think Iran’s track record is particularly noteworthy or particularly likely to give me or anyone else confidence that anything will come of these discussions,” said spokesman Tom Casey.  “We would certainly like to see them comply, but to date, they haven’t.”

IAEA officials, however, have expressed hope that new talks could prove useful.

“I have been warning about a brewing confrontation that needs to be defused,” ElBaradei said last week.  “Establishing clear facts on the ground as we do, as our job is, will enable the development of a political solution” (Mark Landler, New York Times, June 26).

Meanwhile, three Japanese banks have decided to conduct no new business with Iran, a move that reflects U.S. efforts to persuade other nations to unilaterally ramp up pressure against Tehran, the Financial Times reported Sunday (see GSN, May 4).

The Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ, Mizuho and Sumitomo Mitsui have told Iranian officials they will take on no additional Iranian business ventures, according to a senior banker.

In addition, Japan’s private sector has resisted Iranian efforts to conduct transactions in non-U.S. currencies, the Times reported.

Iranian officials have said such financial sanctions have had little effect, in particular because high oil prices have boosted Iran’s revenue stream (see GSN, June 13).

Nevertheless, U.S. officials have said their efforts are bearing fruit.

“Most of the world’s top financial institutions have now dramatically reduced their Iranian business or stopped it altogether,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said earlier this month.  “For the most part, they are not legally required to take these steps but have decided, as a matter of prudence and integrity, that they do not want to be the bankers for such a regime” (Dinmore/Pilling, Financial Times, June 24).

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