Iran accepts new deal; Australia remains vigilant

Iran urged to follow up on nuclear U-turn
ANDREW GULLY
February 4, 2010 - 2:39PM

The United States and key allies urged Iran Wednesday to follow up on a surprise U-turn from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by formally committing to a UN-brokered deal to swap enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.

But there was also alarm and the renewed threat of new sanctions as Ahmadinejad's apparent overture to the West on the nuclear issue was quickly followed by a rocket launch into space deemed by the White House "a provocative act."

Ahmadinejad bamboozled his critics on Tuesday by suggesting that a deal struck last October envisaging Iran sending some 70 percent of its low-enriched uranium abroad was suddenly back on.

Conscious his remarks could simply be timed to stave off new sanctions at an upcoming meeting of world powers, the White House urged Iran to contact the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN watchdog that brokered the original deal.

"If those comments indicate some sort of change in position for Iran, then president Ahmadinejad should let the IAEA know," said deputy White House spokesman Bill Burton.

Iran needs nuclear fuel to power its UN-monitored reactor, but the West fears its uranium enrichment program is masking efforts to produce atomic weapons -- claims vehemently denied by the Islamic republic.Chronology: The twists and turns of Iran nuclear fuel deal

The IAEA has proposed, in a bid to allay Western fears about Iran's atomic ambitions, that Tehran ship out its low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Russia and France to be further purified into reactor fuel.

Iran, which agreed in principle to the offer during talks with world powers in Geneva in October, later appeared to reject the deal and said it preferred a gradual swap of LEU with fuel -- preferably on Iranian soil.

It had given the West until January 31 to respond to its counter-proposals.

Iran's apparent change of heart received a cautious welcome from the P5+1 -- UN Security Council veto-wielding permanent members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany -- which has been leading international efforts to engage Iran.

Britain's Foreign Office said: "If Iran is willing to take up the IAEA's proposed offer, it would be a positive sign of their willingness to engage with the international community on nuclear issues."

But it said that desire must be made "clear" to the IAEA and Ahmadinejad's comment "does not change" the need for Iran to hold talks with the P5+1.

"Iran has to make concrete commitments to the IAEA and a concrete answer in Vienna is the only measure on which it can be assessed," German government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said.

But hours after Ahmadinejad said on state television that Iran would have "no problem" sending its stocks of low-enriched uranium abroad, the launch of a new Iranian space rocket drew fresh international criticism.

"This announcement can only reinforce the concerns of the international community as Iran in parallel develops a nuclear program that has no identifiable civil aims," a French foreign ministry spokesman said.

The launch Wednesday of the Kavoshgar 3 (Explorer) rocket -- a home-built satellite carrying a rat, turtles and worms -- was Iran's first experiment with such space technology.

The West suspects Iran is secretly trying to build an atomic bomb and fears the technology used to launch space rockets could be diverted into developing long-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Iran strongly denies that either its space or atomic energy programs are intended to build a bomb.

The United States said Tuesday it hoped to consult with China and the other P5+1 powers in coming days on the Iranian nuclear issue, but gave no precise date for a meeting.

If Ahmadinejad was simply paying lip-service to a deal to try and avoid stiffer sanctions then the move appeared to have back-fired.

President Barack Obama's warning last week that Iran's leaders would suffer "growing consequences" if they ignored international obligations meant tough sanctions were in the offing, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday.

"I think in the near-term it's more likely to be severe sanctions imposed partly by the UN Security Council and partly by the United States and like-minded countries," Gates said when asked about Obama's warning.

And French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said he would ask the United Nations to adopt a new resolution against Iran, warning it would include "strong sanctions."

"The Iranian regime has not taken our offers of dialogue... the time has therefore come to react," he said.

© 2010 AFP
This story is sourced direct from an overseas news agency as an additional service to readers. Spelling follows North American usage, along with foreign currency and measurement units.

Click to expand...

taillesskangaru said:

The deal's still alive, apparently.

The Age

Click to expand...

Taniciusfox said:

Now that the talk of sanctions has become that much closer to reality, Ahmadinejad will hopefully abandon his hardline stance in the face of a greater hardline stance from the outside world... I'm positive Australia's actions are just the tip of the iceberg. Do you suppose he will, in fact, agree to work with the West, or that, as many fear, he's just stalling on-and-off to buy time and ease the chance of being sanctioned?

Click to expand...

On the issue itself, I'll confess I don't really know how the UN sanction system works. Is the Security Council involved or not? If so, China or Russia may pose a big problem, even if they seem semi-willing to assist the West on the nuclear issue.

Click to expand...

P.S. Off-topic, but what is your avatar of, Tailless?

Click to expand...

Agarwaen said:

I don't like much these secret talks.

Click to expand...

Dachs said:

The program of the world's peace, therefore, is our program; and that program, the only possible program, as we see it, is this: open covenants of peace, openly arrived at, after which there shall be no private international understandings of any kind but diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and in the public view.

Click to expand...

aelf said:

And everyone proceeded to ignore that, pretty much...

Click to expand...

Dachs said:

And that's why we don't have world peace!

!!!!!!!!!11111111

Click to expand...

In Germany, Manouchehr Mottaki said a deal to send enriched uranium overseas in exchange for nuclear fuel could be reached in a "not too distant future".

China, opposed to imposing new sanctions against Tehran, said talks with the international community had reached a "crucial stage".

There was no reaction to Mr Mottaki's comments from Western delegates.

The US and its allies fear Iran is attempting to develop nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful in purpose.

The BBC Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne, reporting from London, says the strong suspicion is that the Iranian remarks are just another attempt to fend off new sanctions being proposed by the United States.

Mr Mottaki made his comments after deciding to join the Munich conference - a major international gathering of security officials - at the last minute.

He told a late-night audience that "conducive ground" on a nuclear fuel deal had been reached.

"Under the present conditions that we have reached, I think that we are approaching a final agreement that can be accepted by all parties," he said.

"[The] Islamic republic of Iran has shown it is serious about doing this, and we have shown it at the highest level," he said.

Diplomatic Manoeuvring

But Mr Mottaki did not mention the key issue of timing and insisted that the quantity of fuel involved should be up to Iran.

In January, diplomats said Iran had informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it did not accept the terms of a deal agreed in October by Iran, the IAEA and the so-called P5+1 - the US, Russia, China, UK and France plus Germany.

In response, the US, Britain and France have been pressing for more sanctions and earlier this week circulated a discussion paper on further possible measures against the country.

The move came despite recent comments by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad indicating that the country would have "no problem" sending much of its low-enriched uranium abroad so it could be processed into fuel - an arrangement envisaged by the October agreement.

Western diplomats reacted warily to Mr Ahmadinejad's comments.

But China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told the Munich conference that the P5+1 should remain patient and keep pursuing a diplomatic solution to the issue.

"The parties concerned should, with the overall and long-term interests in mind, step up diplomatic efforts, stay patient and adopt a more flexible, pragmatic and proactive policy," he said.

"The purpose is to seek a comprehensive, long-term and proper solution through dialogue and negotiations."

Click to expand...

Iran makes new uranium enrichment challenge

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has asked the country's nuclear chief to begin enriching uranium to 20%.

The move comes amid a worsening stand-off over a Western offer for Iran to swap enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.

The West fears Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons - and have threatened new sanctions. Iran insists its programme is peaceful.

The US defence secretary urged the world to "stand together", saying there was still time for sanctions to work.

"Pressures that are focused on the government of Iran, as opposed to the people of Iran, potentially have greater opportunity to achieve the objective," Robert Gates said during a visit to Italy.

In London, the Foreign Office said Mr Ahmadinejad's announcement was "clearly a matter of serious concern".

"This would be a deliberate breach of five UNSCRs [United Nations Security Council Resolutions]," it said in a statement.

In January, diplomats said Iran had informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it did not accept the terms of the deal agreed in October by Iran, the IAEA and the P5+1 - the US, Russia, China, UK and France plus Germany.

Earlier this week, the US, Britain and France circulated a discussion paper on further possible sanctions against Tehran.

But China says the P5+1 must remain patient and keep pursuing a diplomatic solution to the issue.

Red line

Mr Ahmadinejad made the announcement on Iranian state television - two days after his foreign minister said a deal on swapping enriched uranium for nuclear fuel was close - a claim greeted with scepticism by Western powers.


"I had said let us give them [Western powers] two to three months, and if they don't agree, we would start ourselves," Mr Ahmadinejad said in a speech broadcast live.

"Now Dr [Ali Akbar] Salehi, start to make the 20% with the centrifuges," the president said, addressing Iran's nuclear chief who was sitting in the audience at a laser technology plant in Tehran.

Civilian nuclear power requires uranium enriched to about 3%. Weapons grade uranium needs to be enriched to 90%.

The BBC Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne, reporting from London, says Mr Ahmadinejad's announcement crosses a significant red line.

Iran says it wants to supply a research reactor with highly enriched uranium following the breakdown of the international deal to provide fuel for it.

But some Western analysts say Iran does not possess the technical know-how to make fuel rods for the reactor, our correspondent says, and Western countries fear this could be a stepping stone towards the manufacture of weapons-grade material.

At the very least, this is a provocative act which will make negotiations more difficult, our correspondent says.

Existing UN sanctions are meant to prevent the flow of any items or technology which might aid Iran in enriching uranium or developing nuclear weapon delivery systems.

The sanctions range from actual sales or supplies to dealings with named individuals.

Click to expand...

Taniciusfox said:

What are your thoughts on all of this? Has Iran finally decided to stop being so stubborn and finally agree to work with the West? Or is it just an attempt to buy time? What about Australia's unilateral behavior?

Click to expand...

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told reporters that Iran had to be "measured by its actions, not by what it says" and that it was up to Iran to "show an end to its refusal to negotiate".

Click to expand...

Owen Glyndwr said:

I've played way too much Diplomacy to take anything anyone says at face value .

Click to expand...