Iran says UN risks worsening dispute

WASHINGTON – Iran has warned the UN Security Council that it risked worsening a dispute over the country’s nuclear development by pressuring it to halt uranium-enrichment work.

In a move that could raise further concerns about the country’s military development, a senior Iranian navy commander said Iran had test-fired a sonar-evading underwater missile that can outpace any enemy warship. Speaking on CNN’s ‘Late Edition’, Aliasghar Soltaniyeh, Iran’s ambassador to the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency, said the Security Council’s adoption last week of a statement calling on Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment work was “hasty” and that it should stay out of the process.”The best action of United Nations Security Council is no action, merely just to take note of the documents which have been sent to United Nations Security Council, and let the IAEA to do its own job,” Soltaniyeh said.”The more the United Nations Security Council is engaged and involved, the situation will be further deteriorated.And we have to prevent confrontation,” he said.The council called on Iran to comply with resolutions of the IAEA, including a suspension of enrichment-related activities, which can provide fuel for power plants or atom bombs.It asked the watchdog to report back in 30 days.Iran’s decision to resume uranium enrichment in January prompted Britain, France and Germany to break off 2-1/2 years of EU talks with Tehran and back a US demand to refer Iran to the Security Council.Western nations have also been watching developments in Iran’s missile capabilities with concern amid the standoff over the nuclear program, which the West says is aimed at building atomic bombs.Iran says the program is for peaceful, civilian purposes.Sunday’s announcement of the underwater missile test, part of a week of war games in the Gulf and Sea of Oman, is likely to add to Western worries.”This missile evades sonar technology under the water and even if the enemy sonar system could detect its movement under the water, no warship could escape from it because of its high velocity,” Revolutionary Guards Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said.Diplomats in Europe said this month that Iran was stepping up development of missiles capable of carrying atomic warheads, but Iran denied the charge and Soltaniyeh said on Sunday that the latest test should not worry the world.Soltaniyeh said Iran would not withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and would keep cooperating with the world body’s nuclear watchdog, adding that a team from the Vienna-based nuclear body would visit Iran next week.He said said the nuclear issue been taken “hostage” by US policy and should be brought back to a “multilateral atmosphere.”John Bolton, the US ambassador to the United Nations, told a news conference in Doha that the Security Council action would strengthen the IAEA’s hand.”We think it is important to increase international pressure on Iran to get them to rethink the policy of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons and thereby try and bring a peaceful and diplomatic solution to this problem,” Bolton said.Washington is pushing for the Security Council to impose sanctions on Iran if it does not halt enrichment, but fellow permanent council members China and Russia are reluctant to take that step.Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated that the United States remains committed to a diplomatic solution.”I just want to be very clear, Iran is not Iraq,” she said in an interview with Britain’s ITV aired on Sunday.- Nampa-ReutersSpeaking on CNN’s ‘Late Edition’, Aliasghar Soltaniyeh, Iran’s ambassador to the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency, said the Security Council’s adoption last week of a statement calling on Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment work was “hasty” and that it should stay out of the process.”The best action of United Nations Security Council is no action, merely just to take note of the documents which have been sent to United Nations Security Council, and let the IAEA to do its own job,” Soltaniyeh said.”The more the United Nations Security Council is engaged and involved, the situation will be further deteriorated.And we have to prevent confrontation,” he said.The council called on Iran to comply with resolutions of the IAEA, including a suspension of enrichment-related activities, which can provide fuel for power plants or atom bombs.It asked the watchdog to report back in 30 days.Iran’s decision to resume uranium enrichment in January prompted Britain, France and Germany to break off 2-1/2 years of EU talks with Tehran and back a US demand to refer Iran to the Security Council.Western nations have also been watching developments in Iran’s missile capabilities with concern amid the standoff over the nuclear program, which the West says is aimed at building atomic bombs.Iran says the program is for peaceful, civilian purposes.Sunday’s announcement of the underwater missile test, part of a week of war games in the Gulf and Sea of Oman, is likely to add to Western worries.”This missile evades sonar technology under the water and even if the enemy sonar system could detect its movement under the water, no warship could escape from it because of its high velocity,” Revolutionary Guards Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said.Diplomats in Europe said this month that Iran was stepping up development of missiles capable of carrying atomic warheads, but Iran denied the charge and Soltaniyeh said on Sunday that the latest test should not worry the world.Soltaniyeh said Iran would not withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and would keep cooperating with the world body’s nuclear watchdog, adding that a team from the Vienna-based nuclear body would visit Iran next week.He said said the nuclear issue been taken “hostage” by US policy and should be brought back to a “multilateral atmosphere.”John Bolton, the US ambassador to the United Nations, told a news conference in Doha that the Security Council action would strengthen the IAEA’s hand.”We think it is important to increase international pressure on Iran to get them to rethink the policy of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons and thereby try and bring a peaceful and diplomatic solution to this problem,” Bolton said.Washington is pushing for the Security Council to impose sanctions on Iran if it does not halt enrichment, but fellow permanent council members China and Russia are reluctant to take that step.Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated that the United States remains committed to a diplomatic solution.”I just want to be very clear, Iran is not Iraq,” she said in an interview with Britain’s ITV aired on Sunday.- Nampa-Reuters