Global Security Newswire

U.S. senators yesterday endorsed a bill that would punish entities that provide energy support for Iran, an effort aimed at curbing the Middle Eastern nation's disputed nuclear program, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Jan. 28).

Iran has defended its nuclear program as a strictly peaceful endeavor, but Tehran's argument has been received skeptically by Washington and other Western governments that suspect the effort is geared toward nuclear weapons development.

Tehran has "pursued illicit nuclear activities posing a serious threat to the security of the United States and our allies," Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) said. "With passage of this bill, we make it clear that there will be appropriate consequences if these actions continue."

"The Iranian regime has shown no interest in limiting its nuclear ambitions. And an entire year was lost as Iran moved closer and closer to its goal," Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) added. "Iran is closer to realizing its nuclear aspirations, and the U.S. has nothing to show for the [Obama administration's] outreach."

The bill would have to be merged with a version in the House of Representatives and then signed by President Barack Obama (Agence France-Presse I/Google News, Jan. 28).

The bill would prohibit U.S. banks from extending loans and other aid to firms that sell gasoline to Iran or help the nation improve its capability to refine petroleum, Reuters reported. The legislation would also affect firms that establish petroleum pipelines in the country or provide tankers for transferring its oil.

In addition, the legislation would mandate new U.S. asset freezes targeting Iran's Revolutionary Guard and other entities linked to terrorism and proliferation activities. The legislation would streamline the process for states and municipalities to pull funds from energy firms trading with Iran, and it would establish new trade regulations aimed at cutting off sales of high-risk technologies to Iran from outside from the United States (Doggett/Cornwell, Reuters I/Washington Post, Jan. 28).

Meanwhile, top diplomats from the United States and four European governments met yesterday to consider new punitive measures to target Tehran, AFP reported.

With her counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton considered "where things stand and possible next steps both in New York (at the U.N. Security Council) and with respect to greater implementation of existing measures," one U.S. official said.

U.S. Treasury Undersecretary Stuart Levey gave the group a "short briefing," the official added. Levey has played a notable role in efforts to implement U.S. sanctions against Iran (Agence France-Presse II/Yahoo!News, Jan. 28).

"Iran has provided a continuous stream of threats to intensify its violation of international nuclear norms," Clinton told journalists yesterday. "Iran's approach leaves us with little choice than to work with our partners to apply greater pressure in the hopes that it will cause Iran to reconsider its rejection of diplomatic efforts" (Agence France-Presse III/Google News, Jan. 28).

"We're informally sharing ideas with other members of the group in terms of what would have the greatest impact on Iranian decision-making. I don't think there's consensus yet on what that might be," a high-level U.S. official told Reuters.

China called for additional efforts to seek a negotiated resolution to the nuclear dispute. Beijing, which wields veto authority on the Security Council like the body's other permanent members, has resisted some Western calls for a fourth round of U.N. sanctions against Iran.

"Iran's nuclear issue should be resolved through diplomatic efforts and negotiations. We believe we should focus on resuming dialogue and restarting negotiations," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said after speaking with Clinton in London. In the private meeting, Yang expressed reservations about pursuing new penalties against Iran, which provides China with much of its petroleum, the senior official said.

Still, there is some chance that Beijing could join the other permanent U.N. Security Council members in supporting new sanctions, the official said.

"[The Chinese] also said they're committed to operating as part of the P-5+1, (so) there's a certain tension," said the source. "Our operating principal as a group is to act in unison, so we certainly hope they wouldn't abstain" (Daisy Ku, Reuters II, Jan. 28).

Clinton said her meeting with Yang was "very positive," the London Times reported (Catherine Philp, London Times, Jan. 29).

Elsewhere, negotiations are continuing over a potential agreement for foreign enrichment of Iranian uranium, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano said today.

Washington and other governments have urged Iran to accept an IAEA plan for enriching much of its uranium to the 20-percent level required for use at a medical research reactor in the nation's capital. Tehran, though, has rejected the proposal's call for a bulk transfer of Iranian uranium to other countries -- a measure aimed at deferring the nation's ability to enrich enough material for a nuclear weapon -- and has offered only to give up small quantities of its low-enriched uranium at a time in simultaneous exchanges for pre-enriched medical reactor fuel.

"The proposal is on the table. Dialogue is continuing," Reuters quoted Amano as saying. He did not elaborate.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief also called for Iran to allow international inspectors greater access to the nation's nuclear facilities. "Comprehensive safeguards should be fully implemented. That is what we are struggling (with) now," he said.

"I hope agreement will be reached (on the fuel plan) and I continue to work as intermediary. This will ... help increase confidence in the (Iran) nuclear issue," he said (Mark Heinrich, Reuters III, Jan. 29).