Iran today insisted it was fulfilling its obligations to the International Atomic Energy Agency, seemingly verifying reports that agency inspectors had been allowed to visit its unfinished Arak heavy-water reactor earlier this month, Reuters reported (see GSN, Aug. 21).
"All our nuclear activities have been within the framework of the agency and the NPT (Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty). ... (IAEA Director General Mohamed) ElBaradei has always confirmed Iran's cooperation with the agency," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said when questioned about reports of the Arak tour.
"This trend will be continued in the future. What has been mentioned recently was in the same framework," Qashqavi said.
It had been more than a year since IAEA inspectors had been allowed to visit the facility.
Iran also announced it would permit increased agency scrutiny of its Natanz uranium enrichment complex to ensure that material produced at the site is not diverted for weapons use, according to diplomats linked to the agency. The United States and other Western powers suspect that Iran's uranium enrichment program is geared toward generating nuclear-weapon material, but Tehran has maintained it only wants to produce fuel for its nuclear energy program.
Iran's moves toward greater transparency were greeted warily by some diplomats representing the five permanent U.N. Security Council member nations and Germany, which have encouraged Tehran to negotiate a halt to the enrichment program in exchange for diplomatic and financial benefits. They urged Iran to provide additional detail regarding prior nuclear work, halt uranium enrichment and resume negotiations on the standoff.
Iran's cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog remains insufficient, U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Friday, urging Tehran to meet its commitments to the Vienna-based organization. The United States and other Western nations have threatened to pursue new sanctions against Iran if it fails to join multilateral nuclear talks by the end of September (Reza Derakhshi, Reuters, Aug. 24).
Iran will not compromise its atomic ambitions, and the international community should develop working partnerships with the Middle Eastern state, Agence France-Presse quoted Qashqavi as saying.
"It is the right time for the other parties to review their policy. Rather than countering Iran, they should interact with Iran," he said.
"Past experience has shown that sanctions are futile. Sanctions will not prevent us from pursuing our legal rights," the spokesman added (Agence France-Presse I/Google News, Aug. 24).
Germany could seek new economic penalties targeting Iran's energy sector, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Friday.
"If there is no progress, we would have to react with further sanctions," Merkel told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. "What is clear is that Tehran, whose president constantly questions Israel's right to exist, must not get the atomic bomb."
Germany is set to discuss Iran early next month in talks with China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, she noted.
"I don't want to pre-empt the talks but economic sanctions dealing with the energy sector are on the table but we must wait to see what comes of the talks. We must also speak about them (possible sanctions) with our partners Russia and China," Merkel said.
Responding to complaints about the proposed sanctions from German business interests, she said: "We must, as part of the international community, accept our part of the responsibility for the desired success of a diplomatic solution (to the dispute with Iran). If Iran got atomic weapons it would a dangerous situation. That is why sanctions would be justified" (Agence France Presse II/Google News, Aug. 21).
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to push for new sanctions against Iran during talks this week with Merkel, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and U.S. envoy George Mitchell, the Jerusalem Post reported (Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post, Aug. 24).