Differences in Security Council on nuclear Iran
Iran-UN, Politics, 5/1/2006

An Iranian Majlis deputy today said fundamental differences among members of the United Nations Security Council will prevent the body from taking a common stand against Iran.

Pointing to a scheduled meeting of members of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Moussa Qorbani said differences remained among members as to full acceptance of US demands. "The fundamental difference relates to the Islamic Republic of Iran's real goal in pursuing research and access to nuclear technology.

"Therefore, there will be no common ground to proceed against Iran with respect to the country's nuclear activities at the international level," he said.
Qorbani, who is also a member of the Majlis Presiding Board, said that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei's report on Iran's nuclear program was "two-sided."

The sides, he added, can interpret it to their advantage. "The negative points of ElBaradei's report were that Iran failed to remove differences with the IAEA," but added that the report also confirmed that Iran had not made any diversion in its nuclear activities.

He stressed the importance of confronting the misinformation campaign of the Western media against Iran. "Iran will revise its current policies to see if any decision has to be made on Iran's nuclear activities based on Chapter VII of the UN Charter." Qorbani said.

"Iran has had an appropriate cooperation with the IAEA so far but continuation of cooperation will depend on the agency's attitude towards Iran's nuclear activities," he added.

Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Wang Guangya repeated Saturday his warning against the introduction of a resolution on the Iranian nuclear issue under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, saying it could be "dangerous. " Wang said
"The Iranians have already said that if this (nuclear) issue is discussed under Chapter 7 (enforceable sanction), they will withdraw from the NPT (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty)...Once they withdraw, they won't take any international legal obligations, so we don't want them to withdraw."

Wang insisted that the IAEA be allowed to continue playing a leading role in seeking a solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis. As shown by the IAEA's latest report, Wang said, "this is, in a sense, a technical issue and I don't think the Security Council as a political organization would be capable of doing this job."

Russia has indicated opposition to the US position, with reports citing Russian officials that measures against Iran will have very negative consequences to the CIS countries and the entire region as a whole.

Britain, France and the United States have said they would push the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution invoking Chapter 7, under which coercive measures, such as economic sanctions, could be used to force Iran to comply with the Security Council's demands.

Despite the fact that the US is pushing anew for measures against Iran, the US first round of effort to get support against Iran failed, and the US seemingly has scaled back expectation with the hope that countries individualy would eventualy take sanctions measures against Iran.

Iranian officials on Saturday said very clearly that they will take any support to the US position as a hostile act against Iran to which they intend to react accordingly with concrete measures.

Also, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani said Sunday that the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad managed to develop Iran's nuclear program.

Speaking to the students of Sharif Technical University, he said that Iran has achieved to extract uranium, convert it into yellowcake, inject the cake into the Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF) and produce UF6.

"Injection of uranium hexafluoride to centrifuges was the next stage, which eventually resulted in a four percent enrichment," he added.

In response to a student's question about relying on Russia, he said, "We mainly rely on the potentials of young Iranian scientists. However, diplomacy calls for using global expertise. Just as we cooperate with Europe, we should equally collaborate with Russia and China."

Larijani underlined that the US is faced with the crisis of being mistrusted, adding that even their allies do not trust this administration. "Though the US symbolizes a great country, it keeps on bullying in the region and attempts to get control of regional oil reserves.

Larijani said that if West continues to threaten Iran, the country will stop cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He said now it is up to the West to make an option, on which Iran's reaction will depend. "Therefore, they better use their wits and select a way that will make Iran cooperate with them," added the SNSC secretary.

Turning to the remarks of the US state secretary about the allocation of 70 million dollars to measures against Iran, he said that even if 70 billion dollars were earmarked to the cause, they would get nowhere. "If you are seeking to disturb Iran, we will do the same, given that we are able to do so but actually do not wish to disturb anyone," Larijani said.

With Iran new status as a nuclear country, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi noted yesterday that uranium enrichment for research purpose is irreversible, and spoke about new further announcements to be made about advancement in this field.

Asefi said, the Islamic Republic of Iran is eager to see mutual negotiations lead to the resumption of uranium enrichment on the industrial scale, adding that under no circumstances will the Islamic Republic of Iran give up its legitimate rights.

Previous Stories:
  Iran would only consider nuclear issue talks on its merit   (4/29/2006)
  Iran presses ahead as nuclear report is released   (4/28/2006)
  Iran: Enemies cannot justify mistakes committed in the name of IAEA, UN SC   (4/26/2006)

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