Iran, IAEA Continue Nuclear Talks

Iran and the U.N. nuclear watchdog continued talks in Tehran today intended to help resolve fears regarding Iran’s nuclear program, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Aug. 20).

At the discussions which began yesterday, International Atomic Energy Agency officials hope to agree on an “action plan” for Iran to provide IAEA inspectors with better access to nuclear sites and more information on controversial elements of its nuclear program.

Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani warned yesterday that a new round of U.N. Security Council sanctions would disrupt Iran’s cooperation with the agency.

“If they (world powers) take an irrational move, then Iran's cooperation with the agency as well as the talks will be sterile,” Larijani told state media yesterday.

"If they take the wrong path this will arouse a reaction from Iran.  The path taken so far will end and Iran will take its next steps,” he said (Stuart Williams, Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Aug. 21).

U.S. officials said yesterday that Iran’s cooperation with IAEA officials has not been significant enough to prevent the Security Council from considering new sanctions against the country, Reuters reported.

Iran has to some degree increased transparency in an effort to avoid new sanctions following the passage of two U.N. sanctions resolutions since December 2006, diplomats said.

The United States has maintained that Iran must also halt uranium enrichment activities, which could yield a nuclear bomb ingredient, before the United Nations would consider suspending sanctions.  Iran has insisted it would not stop enriching uranium.

“We intend to push it (tougher U.N. sanctions) very, very hard and we certainly will never agree that because Iran has some meetings with the IAEA, we should stop all of our efforts,” said U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns.

“We don't trust Iran.  No one trusts Iran,” Burns said yesterday in a radio debate (Reuters/Yahoo!News, Aug. 21).

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