IAEA Report Cites Iran Concern

The International Atomic Energy Agency has not uncovered evidence confirming Western suspicions that Iran aims to develop nuclear weapons, but “serious concern” remains over Tehran’s alleged studies into the possible militarization of its nuclear capabilities, agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said in a report released today (see GSN, Feb. 21).

The report says questions remain over allegations that Iran has explored technologies to develop high-explosives, missile re-entry vehicles, and nuclear test facilities

“The agency is not yet in a position to determine the full nature of Iran’s nuclear program.  However, it should be noted that the agency has not detected the use of nuclear material in connection with the alleged studies, nor does it have credible information in this regard,” the report says.

The agency has urged Iran to disclose additional information on its alleged work on a missile re-entry vehicle, high explosives testing and the “Green Salt” project, an alleged study into producing uranium enrichment materials.

IAEA inspectors confronted Tehran in early February with intelligence identifying an Iranian weapons testing site that included remote detonators and a shaft more than 1,300 feet deep.  The U.N. nuclear watchdog said such a site could be used in nuclear weapons development, but Iran has maintained that the schematic plan of the site, provided to the agency by another country, had been forged.

IAEA officials are waiting for Pakistani officials to explain how Iran received documents that describe how to shape uranium metal into hemispheres, a key step to producing nuclear weapon cores.  Tehran has said the plans were supplied together with nuclear equipment obtained through the nuclear smuggling ring once run by former top Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan and that Iranian officials had not requested the instructions.

Asked to explain why several Iranian agencies had taken action to obtain training software for analyzing the effects of shockwaves on metal —information that could be used to engineer a precision system for detonating a nuclear device — Iranian officials said the had been sought “in order to study aircraft, collision of cars, airbags and for the design of safety belts.”

Iranian technicians have fed about 3,680 pounds of uranium hexafluoride into its 18 operating centrifuge cascades, U.N. watchdog officials determined in a December inventory of Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility.  Inspectors confirmed in late January that Iran had disassembled some older P-1 centrifuge cascades and assembled an experimental 10-centrifuge cascade using the proprietary, high-speed IR-2 centrifuge.

Inspectors have resolved concerns over conduct at Iran’s Gchine uranium mine as well as questions over enriched uranium traces found at a Tehran technical university.  The report says that concerns over the findings from the uranium trace investigation proved to be consistent with Iran’s explanation that the traces had originated on nuclear equipment supplied by Pakistan (David Barnes, Global Security Newswire, Feb. 22).

The U.S. ambassador to the IAEA today expressed disappointment that Iran has not suspended its uranium enrichment program and failed to fully disclose other controversial aspects of its nuclear work.

“After five years of evasion, and after promising to cooperate fully with the IAEA ‘work plan,’ Iran’s leaders have lost another opportunity to fully disclose their nuclear activities and to start to regain international confidence.  Iran’s nuclear file remains open, both in Vienna and New York, and is a source of continued international concern,” U.S. Ambassador Gregory Schulte said (U.S. release, Feb. 22).

In an e-mailed statement, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Susan Doman encouraged Iran to signed the Additional Protocol and provide IAEA officials additional access to its nuclear sites, adding that “the door remains open” for international sanctions to be lifted if Iran suspends its uranium enrichment and other disputed nuclear activities (U.S. State Department release, Feb. 22).

The United States provided new intelligence on Iran’s nuclear program to U.N. nuclear watchdog officials before the IAEA report’s release, diplomats said today.

The new details followed an earlier round of U.S. intelligence disclosures to the agency, the Associated Press reported.  U.S. officials permitted IAEA officials to confront Iran with some of the information to pressure Tehran to share new information on its nuclear activities, but Iranian nuclear officials have showed no interest in the U.S. intelligence and diplomats said it was of little value. 

“It’s not the amount but the quality that counts,” one diplomat said (Associated Press/International Herald Tribune, Feb. 22).

In New York, three European powers formally introduced a sanctions resolution against Iran to the U.N. Security Council yesterday, Agence France-Presse reported.

“We will formally introduce this afternoon the draft resolution in the Security Council on behalf of its three co-sponsors, France, Britain and Germany,” French U.N. envoy Jean-Maurice Ripert told journalists. 

“The goal is to begin formal negotiations" in order to get the council to adopt the resolution "as soon as possible, ideally next week,” Ripert said.

A slightly revised version of the resolution has been agreed on by the five permanent Security Council member nations and Germany, Ripert said.   The original text was formulated last month by China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The resolution’s sponsors said they have secured enough votes among the council’s 10 nonpermanent members to pass the resolution, which requires nine votes and no vetos from the five permanent members (Gerard Aziakou, Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, Feb. 21).

The resolution’s sponsors are aiming to “secure adoption of the text if possible next week and if possible by consensus,” Ripert said.

“We are seeking further substantive comments from more delegations in the first half of next week so we can take this forward expeditiously,” said John Sawyers, U.N. ambassador for the United Kingdom (Gerard Aziakou, Agence France-Presse II/Google News, Feb. 22).

In Tehran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has cautioned world powers against joining a “new game” in the nuclear standoff, Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported today.

“Put an end to this game, but if you want to start a new game, you should know that if our nation decides something, then it will definitely be put into practice without the slightest concession,” Ahmadinejad said.  “The era that world powers violate Iran’s rights through intimidation and deception is finally over.”

Ahmadinejad said the “nation’s will” to move forward with its nuclear activities would overcome pressure to halt them from outside powers.  He also attacked the administration of Mohammad Khatami, his presidential predecessor, for taking part in “worthless meetings and ransom-like concessions instead of defending the nation’s rights” (Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Feb. 22).

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