Key powers in nuclear crisis talks

BERLIN – Europe’s big three powers prepared for crisis talks yesterday to thrash out the international community’s response after Iran resumed sensitive nuclear activities in defiance of calls for restraint.

Britain and the United States say the dispute is likely to end in Tehran’s referral to the UN Security Council, which can impose sanctions. As China weighed in voicing its “concern” at the resumption of nuclear fuel research, US and European officials quoted by the Washington Post said Russia had pledged not to block efforts to haul Iran before the world body.The meeting in Berlin gathers the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, which have been negotiating with Tehran for two years to try to allay Western fears that its nuclear programme may be hiding weapons development.Iran sparked a furious worldwide reaction Tuesday when it broke UN seals at its Natanz nuclear plant to resume research into uranium enrichment.Enriched uranium can be used as fuel for nuclear power stations, but in its highly enriched form makes the explosive core for atomic weapons.A defiant Iran vowed Wednesday to pursue its programme, which it insists is for civilian nuclear power.President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he would not be intimidated by the “fuss.”Former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a senior cleric and a key influence, said Thursday that nuclear energy was “the desire of our nation, we will pursue it.”He said Iran had decided to resume the work and “break the colonial taboos regarding our peaceful nuclear energy (programme) since the West’s opposition to our peaceful nuclear energy is rooted in their colonial mentality.”Russia and China – which have often been tactical allies of Iran at the UN watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – joined criticism of its nuclear resumption.”We express our concern…about the recent new development in the Iranian nuclear issue,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan.”We hope that the Iranian side can do more to help build mutual trust and promote the resumption of talks between Iran and the EU countries.”Russia said breaking the seals was “cause for alarm.”Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain and US Vice President Dick Cheney both said Wednesday the likely next step was to refer Iran to the Security Council, a process which normally goes through the Vienna-based IAEA.”The first thing to do is secure agreement for a reference to the Security Council, if that is indeed what the allies jointly decide, as I think seems likely,” Blair told parliament.A Western diplomat in Vienna said there could be a special meeting of IAEA governors in about two weeks.US diplomats say they have a majority of votes on the 35-member IAEA board to haul Iran before the Security Council, although it was unclear if there was enough support for eventual sanctions against Tehran.UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said he was “very concerned” over Tehran’s activity but it was for the IAEA to deal with it, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.Cheney said in a radio interview that “probably the number one item on the agenda would be the resolution that could be enforced by sanctions, were they (the Iranians) to fail to comply with it.”State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said it was “more likely than ever that we are headed to the Security Council on this question.”He said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice conferred Wednesday by phone with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei.Rice spoke earlier with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, whose country has offered to house Iranian uranium-enrichment activities on its soil as a control and confidence-building measure.US officials had privately made no secret of their scepticism over the EU’s negotiating efforts so far, but now appear convinced that their tactic of letting the talks run their course has borne fruit in highlighting Tehran’s intransigence.The Washington Post said Russia’s pledge not to block moves to take Tehran before the Security Council was only good for a vote within the IAEA, but that it was uncertain how Moscow would act once the issue hit the top world body.It said US officials considered Russia’s pledge a victory, and they would now spend next few works working to secure support from China.Kong, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, urged Iran and the EU powers to use dialogue to resolve the crisis, and refused to speculate on how Beijing would act on any resolution.-Nampa-AFPAs China weighed in voicing its “concern” at the resumption of nuclear fuel research, US and European officials quoted by the Washington Post said Russia had pledged not to block efforts to haul Iran before the world body.The meeting in Berlin gathers the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany, which have been negotiating with Tehran for two years to try to allay Western fears that its nuclear programme may be hiding weapons development.Iran sparked a furious worldwide reaction Tuesday when it broke UN seals at its Natanz nuclear plant to resume research into uranium enrichment.Enriched uranium can be used as fuel for nuclear power stations, but in its highly enriched form makes the explosive core for atomic weapons.A defiant Iran vowed Wednesday to pursue its programme, which it insists is for civilian nuclear power.President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he would not be intimidated by the “fuss.”Former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a senior cleric and a key influence, said Thursday that nuclear energy was “the desire of our nation, we will pursue it.”He said Iran had decided to resume the work and “break the colonial taboos regarding our peaceful nuclear energy (programme) since the West’s opposition to our peaceful nuclear energy is rooted in their colonial mentality.”Russia and China – which have often been tactical allies of Iran at the UN watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – joined criticism of its nuclear resumption.”We express our concern…about the recent new development in the Iranian nuclear issue,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan.”We hope that the Iranian side can do more to help build mutual trust and promote the resumption of talks between Iran and the EU countries.”Russia said breaking the seals was “cause for alarm.”Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain and US Vice President Dick Cheney both said Wednesday the likely next step was to refer Iran to the Security Council, a process which normally goes through the Vienna-based IAEA.”The first thing to do is secure agreement for a reference to the Security Council, if that is indeed what the allies jointly decide, as I think seems likely,” Blair told parliament.A Western diplomat in Vienna said there could be a special meeting of IAEA governors in about two weeks.US diplomats say they have a majority of votes on the 35-member IAEA board to haul Iran before the Security Council, although it was unclear if there was enough support for eventual sanctions against Tehran.UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said he was “very concerned” over Tehran’s activity but it was for the IAEA to deal with it, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.Cheney said in a radio interview that “probably the number one item on the agenda would be the resolution that could be enforced by sanctions, were they (the Iranians) to fail to comply with it.”State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said it was “more likely than ever that we are headed to the Security Council on this question.”He said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice conferred Wednesday by phone with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei.Rice spoke earlier with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, whose country has offered to house Iranian uranium-enrichment activities on its soil as a control and confidence-building measure.US officials had privately made no secret of their scepticism over the EU’s negotiating efforts so far, but now appear convinced that their tactic of letting the talks run their course has borne fruit in highlighting Tehran’s intransigence.The Washington Post said Russia’s pledge not to block mo
ves to take Tehran before the Security Council was only good for a vote within the IAEA, but that it was uncertain how Moscow would act once the issue hit the top world body.It said US officials considered Russia’s pledge a victory, and they would now spend next few works working to secure support from China.Kong, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, urged Iran and the EU powers to use dialogue to resolve the crisis, and refused to speculate on how Beijing would act on any resolution.-Nampa-AFP