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Iran to Press on With Uranium Conversion, Talks With EU, Says New Nuclear Policy Chief
The new head of Iranian nuclear policy indicated that Tehran stands by its decision last week to resume uranium conversion, Agence France-Presse reported today (see GSN, Aug. 12). “Iran does not accept the [International Atomic Energy Agency] resolution” adopted last week urging it to maintain its nuclear freeze, Supreme National Security Council chief Ali Larijani told the Shargh newspaper following his appointment yesterday. “We insist on Natanz,” Iran’s uranium enrichment plant, “but this must go through the channel of negotiations,” he said, referring to nuclear talks with France, Germany and the United Kingdom (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, Aug. 16). Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, however, has not yet announced whether Larijani would handle the negotiations, the Associated Press reported (Nasser Karimi, Associated Press I/San Diego Union-Tribune, Aug. 15). Meanwhile, two IAEA inspectors were expected to arrive in Tehran today en route to the Isfahan uranium conversion facility, where they are scheduled to monitor activities for 10 days, the Mehr news agency reported. Four agency experts arrived Friday in Tehran for talks with Iran’s nuclear officials, according to Mehr. The U.N. agency plans to keep a two-person team in Iran, a source said (Mehr/BBC Monitoring, Aug. 15). Elsewhere, Washington said yesterday it would seek economic and political sanctions against Iran through the U.N. Security Council if Tehran abandoned its nuclear freeze commitment or failed to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, AP reported. President George W. Bush’s statement Friday that “all options are on the table,” presumably including military force, is something “any president would say,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. McCormack said the United States continues to support the EU diplomatic effort. “We are working well on this diplomatic approach,” he said (Barry Schweid, Associated Press II/Yahoo!News, Aug. 15).
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