Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country would stop “all nuclear exports” to Iran until Tehran agrees to more stringent inspections of its nuclear facilities, BBC News reported today (see GSN, June 2).

Putin made the declaration to other leaders at the Group of Eight summit in France, and the move follows a tough G-8 declaration calling weapons of mass destruction the “pre-eminent threat” to safety.

Russia wants Iran to sign the Additional Protocol to its safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, but Iran has refused to do so until international sanctions are lifted.  Iranian official have said Iran should receive more advanced nuclear technology because it is a party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (BBC News, June 3).

The G-8 leaders said they would not “ignore the proliferation implications of Iran’s nuclear program.”  They also said they could use inspections and export controls to check potential Iranian proliferation and, “if necessary, other means in accordance with international law.”

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said, however, that U.S. President George W. Bush will not invade Iran.

“Bush made a clear statement that the idea of an armed operation by American forces in Iran is completely without foundation,” Berlusconi said.

A senior Bush administration official said France, Germany and Russia, all nations that opposed the war with Iraq, facilitated the strong declaration.

“Iran’s going to be on the griddle,” the official said, adding, “this statement confirms it” (Tagliabue/Bumiller, New York Times, June 3).

Meanwhile, Russia continues to negotiate an agreement with Iran to return spent nuclear fuel from the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which is being built with Russian assistance in Iran, the Moscow Times reported.

Russian Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev yesterday said that Moscow and Tehran are close to a deal on the return of the nuclear fuel, and the text of the agreement “is practically ready” (Simon Saradzhyan, Moscow Times, June 3).

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