Iran yesterday urged the International Atomic Energy Agency's 150 member states to prohibit any military action targeting a nation's nuclear sites, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Aug. 12).
(Aug. 13) -
Journalists examine the remains of a building at Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor site, destroyed by Israel in a 1981 airstrike. Iran yesterday called on IAEA member states to ban military attacks on nations' nuclear facilities (Ramzi Haidar/Getty Images).
Tehran denied that the proposal was a reaction to Israeli threats to launch strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Jerusalem, Washington and some European governments suspect that Iran's nuclear program is aimed at nuclear weapons development, an allegation that Tehran has steadfastly denied.
"We are not worried about Israel. Nobody dares to do anything against Iran," said Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's ambassador to the agency, calling the proposed ban "a matter of principle."
Iran has requested that the ban be considered at the next meeting of the IAEA General Conference, which is scheduled to start Sept. 14 in Vienna, Austria.
"This is an urgent concern for all of the international community. All member states will support the idea," Soltanieh said.
Despite Soltanieh's statement, the proposal appears to be aimed at Israel, which in 1981 attacked the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak and which in 2007 destroyed a Syrian facility suspected of housing an unfinished reactor that could have been used for plutonium production.
An attack on Iranian nuclear sites would be more difficult, as the nation's uranium-enrichment plant is deep underground and other sites are protected by air-defense systems, AP reported. The nation might also be operating secret nuclear facilities, according to IAEA officials.
In 1990, IAEA member nations endorsed the resolution, "Prohibition of All Armed Attacks Against Nuclear Installations Devoted to Peaceful Purposes Whether Under Construction or in Operation."
A new ban was necessary, Soltanieh argued, because "nuclear installations all over the world are increasing and any sort of threatening attacks ... will have radiological consequences all over the world" (George Jahn, Associated Press I/Google News, Aug. 12).
Meanwhile, Syria's role in freeing a French Embassy employee held by Iran suggests that Damascus could help Western powers negotiate with Tehran over its disputed nuclear activities, experts told AP.
The release of French-Iranian citizen Nazak Afshar "points to the possibility that Syria, by virtue of its strong ties with Iran, can mediate between Iran and the West over Tehran's nuclear program," said Edmond Saab, executive editor of the Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar.
"By helping in the French woman's release, Syria wanted to send a message to the West in general that it is ready to help in settling hot issues in the region," added Ibrahim Bayram, an analyst with the publication. "No doubt, Syria is using its alliance with Iran to improve its image in the world and break its international isolation" (Hussein Dakroub, Associated Press II/Google News, Aug. 12).