Iran counteracts US threats to take Iran to the Security Council
Iran-USA, Politics, 3/18/2005

The US effort to force Iran to permanently stop its Uranium enrichment program seems heading for a diplomatic showdown where Iran may pull out of the nuclear Non Proliferation treaty if Iran is forced to abandon legal rights it has to such efforts, by dragging Iran before the UN Security Council.

Although Iran has not spoken of such action explicitly, and indicated that it is not afraid of sanctions imposed on it, it is clearly an option that Iran has.

Asked about Iran, earlier this week, US President George W. Bush responded that the United States and its European allies, the United Kingdom, France and Germany (known as the EU-3 in negotiations with Iran), are now "waiting for an Iranian response" to the call for Tehran to permanently abandon uranium enrichment and reprocessing.

"The understanding is, we go to the [U.N.] Security Council if they reject the offer.Ê And I hope they don't.Ê I hope they realize the world is clear about making sure that they don't end up with a nuclear weapon," he said.

Asked if there is a potential for military confrontation with Iran, the president said there remains "a lot of diplomacy" to pursue on the issue.

"There's a certain patience required in order to achieve a diplomatic objective," he said.Ê "And we've just started the process."

Iran's president President Khatami said "Iran has said and the world also concurs with us that access to peaceful nuclear technology is our right. The nuclear know-how is only achieved through the knowledge and expertise of the our scientists, the president stated. Prior to the Islamic revolution, the US scientist' assessment was to provide to Iran 7,000-10,000 megabit of electricity generated form nuclear power plants," IRNA reported him saying.

IRNA added: "Large part of energy throughout the world energy is generated form nuclear energy. "We also have the rights to have access to the energy but, cannot wait for others to deprive us of our own investments." Despite the unjust US pressure in the past couple of years, fortunately in the November's resolution by the Governing Council of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), recognized our rights to engage in peaceful nuclear activities, Khatami added.

Khatami said that if the Europeans stop the path of dialog to reach an agreement and take this issue to the UN Security Council, then the Uranium enrichment program would commence again.

IRNA said: Iran is a member of the Non-Proliferation-Treaty (NPT) and this is adequate that we will not divert our program to building nuclear weapons. "However, because we wanted to show our cooperation with the IAEA and suspended uranium enrichment, but this will last as long as the talks continue," Khatami cautioned. Responding a reporter asking if Iran in return of incentives from Europeans would acquiesce to their plans, he said "we will not trade our nuclear technology for something else." He further rejected any deal if the US offers incentives to Iran if Tehran agrees to scrape its uranium enrichment program.

A solution being proposed by the West to Iran is to stop enrichment programs and to buy the nuclear fuel it needs for its nuclear reactors from outside suppliers. But Iran indicated that it will not leave itself dependent and vulnerable to outside sources that can prevent it from such needed supplies if the supplier countries, for political reasons in the future, decide to not supply Iran with such needed nuclear fuel.

Iran, even according to US officials, is seen as having legal right under the Nuclear nonproliferation treaty to nuclear development for peaceful purposes.

Previous Stories:
  Rafsanjani deplores US Intervention in countries affairs   (3/17/2005)
  New York Times: Bush aims for bypassing Nuclear Prolifiration Treaty with Iran   (3/16/2005)
  Iran wants to talk about nuclear issue but is resolute on right to develop nuclear industry   (3/14/2005)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search