Iran Nuclear Move Angers West, and Russia

Mon, 08 Feb 2010

By Anoush Maleki

Officials from the United States, France and Russia said Monday serious measures should be taken against Iran after the country informed the UN nuclear agency of its plans to enrich uranium to 20 percent purity for a medical research reactor in Tehran.

The countries had hoped to keep a dormant proposal, backed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), alive and take the bulk of Iran's low enriched uranium for further refinement, turn it into special metal fuel rods, and then return it to the country during a lengthy process for a hefty price.

Iran made counterproposals to facilitate an agreement but the other side lacked flexibility and the Obama administration threatened that punishment would await the Tehran government should the deal fail to go through.

The Islamic Republic, which as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is entitled to enrichment — an important part of the nuclear fuel cycle in which the concentration of fissile uranium-235 atoms within uranium is increased to the required level — for civilian purposes, ignored the threats and said as a buyer, it should freely look for bargains and a potentially improved deal.

After months of delay, Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on Sunday decided to produce the 20 percent enriched uranium domestically while the negotiations remain open for the second part of the proposal — in which the nuclear material is formed into special metal rods for the research reactor.

On Monday, the country's envoy to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, informed the agency of the decision.

However, the move threw officials in the West into a frenzy and a barrage of criticism followed as Israel, which has miraculously managed to contain its warmongering since the conclusion of the 2008 Gaza invasion in early 2009, called for "a determined campaign of decisive and permanent sanctions against Iran."

Israel, which is widely believed to possess hundreds of nuclear weapons in the world's most volatile region, has for years threatened to militarily strike Iranian nuclear infrastructure under the allegation that Tehran poses an "existential threat" and the nation is governed by a regime which is hell-bent on starting a nuclear war.

The Obama administration has forced the regime to trim down its war rhetoric and follow in the footsteps of the White House, which promotes "diplomacy" with Tehran — a diplomacy which is backed by attractive incentives and harsh sanctions.

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, after meeting with his French counterpart on Monday, reacted to Iran's move and said new sanctions are the only choice left to deal with the country.

"We must still try and find a peaceful way to resolve this issue. The only path that is left to us at this point, it seems to me, is that pressure track but it will require all of the international community to work together," Gates said at a joint news conference with Herve Morin, who confirmed there is no choice but "to work on other measures," Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, Russia, which had remained unmoved by US pressures on Iran, seems to have jumped ship. An Influential lawmaker said the world must "immediately" inform Tehran that it is risking new sanctions if it did not accept the fuel swap deal.

Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the powerful Duma foreign affairs committee, told the Interfax news agency that Tehran should be sent "a fresh signal" that the world powers are "prepared to respond to this step with serious measures, up to toughening the economic sanctions."

"This signal must be loud and clear," insisted Mr. Kosachev, whose country has delayed the construction of Iran's first nuclear power plant in Bushehr for more than a decade.

Moscow enjoys close diplomatic and economic ties with Tehran. However, it has never hesitated to back Western initiatives against the Iranian government whenever its own interests require it to.

Dr. Hassan Beheshtipour, a senior Iran expert with knowledge on the country's nuclear capabilities, said the country can easily enrich uranium to 20 percent, as the newly installed centrifuges in the Natanz plant will quickly increase output.

But Iran does not possess the technology to manufacture the fuel assemblies. Therefore, there is a possibility that, as President Ahmadinejad has suggested, Iran will seek to negotiate for the second part of the original UN-backed fuel swap proposal, Dr. Beheshtipour said.

And that would effectively leave out Russia from a potential deal; thus the Russian reaction.

The riposte to Iran's announcement of its intention to exercise its nuclear rights is yet to sway China from promoting diplomacy and pushing for more negotiations with Tehran.

Beijing is a veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council and has close relations with Tehran. It has also deeply invested in Iran's energy sector.

Whether China will decide to punish the major oil exporter for seeking to develop its nuclear program is a question that the United States is holding its breath on. But Iran, nonetheless, will move forward with its plans.

Mr. Soltanieh, the Iranian nuclear envoy, told Press TV that he has asked the UN nuclear agency to dispatch its inspectors to Iran to oversee the process of the 20 percent enrichment work.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=118199§ionid=3510303.