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Iran Resumes Small-Scale Uranium Enrichment at Natanz
Iran has resumed small-scale uranium enrichment at its Natanz nuclear facility, the Associated Press reported today (see GSN, Feb. 13). “We need time to have 60,000 centrifuges,” said Vaidi. Diplomats in Vienna yesterday confirmed the resumption of work at Natanz (Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press/Yahoo!News, Feb. 14). U.N. nuclear inspectors plan to visit the Iranian enrichment plant Tuesday where Tehran is threatening to remove surveillance seals and cameras, diplomats said in Vienna. “International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors are due at the Natanz enrichment facility on Tuesday,” a diplomat close to the IAEA told AFP, in comments confirmed by other diplomats (Agence France-Presse/Khaleej Times, Feb. 13). Meanwhile, Tehran requested a four-day delay in scheduled nuclear talks with Moscow, RIA Novosti reported today. Vaidi said an Iranian delegation was prepared to arrive in Moscow on Monday to discuss a Russian compromise proposal whereby Iran’s uranium would be enriched on Russian territory. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin confirmed Iran’s request for a delay, citing technical reasons. “The Russian side is currently discussing the acceptability of this date via working channels,” said Kamynin (RIA Novosti, Feb. 14). Elsewhere, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday warned the United States against escalating tensions with Iran, the Washington Times reported. “We need to be able to resolve it, and I hope there will be no steps taken to escalate this approach,” Annan told U.S. President George W. Bush at an Oval Office meeting. No one wants a “military escalation in the region,” Annan later told CNN. “And Iran should cooperate and cooperate fully. And I have urged them publicly to freeze the nuclear program” (Bill Sammon, Washington Times, Feb. 14). Iran’s recent threats to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty are unlikely to lead to a situation similar to North Korea’s withdrawal in 2003, in which Pyongyang eluded punishment by the U.N. Security Council, AP reported today. Most recently, Foreign Ministry spokesman Gholamhossein Elham warned yesterday that Tehran could “revise” its policy vis-a-vis the treaty, AP reported. North Korea is the only country to have withdrawn from the treaty in its 36-year history, according to AP. The Security Council expressed concern about the move but took no measures to punish the country, with veto-wielding permanent members China and Russia opposing U.S. calls for sanctions. Tehran could also be counting on similar support from Beijing and Moscow, according to AP. However, mounting concerns over Iraq and North Korea’s self-isolation both made additional action against it unlikely at the time. With concerns mounting, even in Beijing and Moscow, over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, Security Council action has become more likely if Iran decides to pull out of the treaty, said David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security. “It may tip them into the camp,” said Albright (George Jahn, Associated Press/ABCNews.com, Feb. 14).
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