[lbo-talk] Permanent five say IAEA must report Iran to U.N

[uvj at vsnl.com]

Reuters.com

Permanent five say IAEA must report Iran to U.N

Tue Jan 31, 2006

By Sue Pleming

LONDON (Reuters) - The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council
agreed on Tuesday that the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog should report to the
Council this week on what Iran must do to cooperate with the agency.

The foreign ministers from China, Russia, the United States, France and
Britain as well as Germany and the European Union, said after a dinner in
London that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) must decide
to bring Iran's case before the Council when the agency meets on Thursday
inVienna.

"(Ministers) agreed that this week's extraordinary IAEA Board meeting should
report to the Security Council its decision on the steps required of Iran,"
said a joint statement after the meeting between the foreign
ministers.

A senior U.S. official said the statement meant Russia and China were now on
board with the United States and the European powers that there must be
strong action taken by the IAEA in Vienna to discourage Tehran from pursuing
atomic research which could enable the country to build a nuclear bomb.

"This is the most powerful message we could have hoped for," said a senior
U.S. official, who said the discussions over dinner had been animated.

But the agreement appeared to have made a concession to Russia by deferring
any Security Council action -- which could include sanctions against Iran --
until a scheduled IAEA meeting in March. Moscow did not want the Council to
be pushed into taking immediate steps against Tehran.

The ministers said the Security Council should wait for a report expected to
be delivered by IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei at the agency's
March meeting before taking action. Originally, the United States had wanted
the IAEA director general's report by this week's meeting.

The United States and other Western countries say Iran's nuclear program is
a front for its ambitions to build a nuclear weapon. Iran denies the
accusation and says its nuclear program is only intended to generate
electricity.

Iran insists on its right to nuclear technology and has alarmed the
international community by restarting nuclear research previously under IAEA
seal.

CONFIDENCE BUILDING

Despite directing the IAEA to report Iran to the Security Council the
statement did not indicate what the U.N. body should do when it actually has
the case placed before it. The Security Council could impose sanctions on
Iran in an effort to make Tehran stop its nuclear activities.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the ministers shared serious
concerns about Iran's nuclear programs and agreed that an extensive period
of "confidence-building" was required from Iran.

The Council could ultimately impose sanctions against Iran but there are
many steps before this could happen.

Russia has suggested previously that the IAEA could ask the Security Council
simply to discuss Iran and then send it back to the IAEA.

Earlier this month, Iran removed U.N. seals on uranium enrichment equipment,
key to making atomic bombs or fuel, and resumed nuclear fuel research.

"(The ministers) call on Iran to restore in full the suspension of
enrichment-related activity, including research and development under the
supervision of the IAEA," the statement said.

The ministers' statement added that they should all continue their resolve
to work for a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear weapons program.

Earlier on Monday, Iran put forward its ideas to European officials in
Brussels who said the talks had yielded nothing new but that negotiations
with the Europeans could be reopened if Tehran complied with IAEA requests.

Iran has threatened to end IAEA snap inspections and, as the world's No. 4
oil exporter, hinted it would cut back crude exports if it were sent to the
Council -- scenarios that have made many countries wary of pursuing
sanctions against Tehran.

European powers Germany, France and Britain have been trying for 2-1/2 years
to persuade Tehran to give up its uranium enrichment program.

A senior State Department official who attended the dinner said there was a
"deep sense of frustration" in the room and the statement reflected this.

(Additional reporting by Madeline Chambers in London)

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.