Iran Threatens to End UN Checks

13/01/2006| IslamWeb

Iran has threatened to halt snap inspections of its nuclear sites by the United Nations if it is referred to the UN Security Council.

The move came after the UK, France and Germany said the time had come for the Council to deal with the issue.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has urged the UN to confront Iranian "defiance" over its nuclear programme.

The US and some European states believe Iran is covertly seeking to develop nuclear arms, but Tehran denies this.

Russia has not ruled out referring Iran to the UN, but says that not all diplomatic steps have been taken.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Iran had "crossed the red line" by resuming nuclear activity, ahead of talks in Washington.

However, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told the BBC that the dispute could "only be resolved by peaceful means".

The crisis over Iran's nuclear programme intensified this week after Iran removed seals at three nuclear facilities, including a uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, following a two-year freeze.

'Transparency'

Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said Tehran would "be obliged to end all... voluntary measures" if sent to the Security Council, which could impose sanctions.

The BBC's Frances Harrison in Tehran says the move is in keeping with a recent Iranian law obliging the government to pull out of the "additional protocol", if the state is referred.

The protocol allows intrusive and short-notice inspections of Iran's nuclear sites, which UN inspectors see as key to supervision of the programme.

Our correspondent says that without short-notice visits, Tehran will find it more difficult to reassure the world it is not diverting fuel for a weapons programme.

But Iran argues that its allowance of so many short-notice checks shows its openness.

Earlier, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Iran's chief nuclear negotiator had told him Iran was still interested in "constructive negotiations, but within a time-frame".

Mr Annan said he was keen for the issue to be resolved through the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), if possible.

Military option

The UK, France and Germany met in Berlin on Thursday in response to Iran's decision to resume nuclear research this week.

Speaking afterwards, they said talks with Iran had reached a "dead end" and called for an emergency session of the IAEA, which could refer Iran to the Council.

Ms Rice backed the EU move and talked of "a menu of possibilities" for diplomatic action against Iran.

European, Chinese, Russian and US officials are set to discuss the dispute in London next week.

Washington, Israel and many European powers distrust Iran, partly because it had kept its nuclear research secret for 18 years before it was revealed in 2002.

Tehran has always said it has the right under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty - which it has signed - to research nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Since last August, Iran has resumed all nuclear activity apart from enrichment, which can produce fuel for power stations or, under certain conditions, for bombs.

PHOTO CAPTION

Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, pictured in 2005. Europe's big powers ratcheted up the pressure on Iran over its nuclear ambitions, urging UN Security Council action and saying two years of delicate negotiations had reached a dead end. (AFP)

Source: BBC