World Opinion Split over Iran

18/01/2006| IslamWeb

Europe sought yesterday to keep up pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme, dismissing as vacuous a Tehran offer to resume talks and seeking to overcome Russian and Chinese opposition to UN action. Amid signs of an international split over how to respond to the crisis over Iran's nuclear ambitions, British Prime Minister Tony Blair's spokesman said Tehran's call for fresh talks was "vacuous." But he conceded there was a "great deal of diplomacy to pursue" in order to build an international consensus to bring Iran into line over a programme which the United States claims is hiding covert atomic weapons development.

World powers seemed divided a day after Britain, France and Germany called for an emergency meeting on February 2-3 of the 35-nation board of governors of the UN watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Their call followed talks in London which also gathered together officials from China, Russia and the United States.

The IAEA could refer Iran to the UN Security Council, which has the powers to impose sanctions, but Russia and China are resisting European and US calls for such intervention.

Russia said sanctions were not the best way forward, while China called for a return to the negotiating table.

Tehran, meanwhile, vowed reprisals against any crackdown, saying it would end tough UN inspections and fully resume nuclear fuel work if the dossier is referred to the Security Council.

Meanwhile, three Turkish paragliders kidnapped in southeastern Iran in December were freed yesterday, Turkish and Iranian officials said.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul thanked the Iranian government for its help in securing the release.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday allowed CNN to resume operating in the country. Iran said the day before that it was banning CNN for mistakenly quoting Ahmadinejad as saying Tehran was seeking nuclear weapons. The ban was dropped after the network apologised.

PHOTO CAPTION

An Iranian technician stands as camera insalled by the International Atomic Energy Agency is seen at the Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facilities, 420 kms south of Tehran, August 2005. (AFP)