WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Iran has recently announced that it will begin to enrich uranium for its nuclear power program. Others fear that Tehran will not just enrich uranium to the lower level needed for an atomic energy reactor, but to the higher level needed for nuclear weapons. Moscow has sought to defuse the burgeoning crisis by offering to enrich Iran's uranium on Russian territory, thus alleviating this concern.
Much to the dismay of America, Europe, and Russia, however, Iran is resisting this offer. Many see this as proof positive that Tehran is definitely seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. Why else would it reject the Russian offer? In fact, however, there is another reason why it might do so: Iran does not trust Russia to keep its end of the bargain.
While Washington is angry with Russia for building a nuclear reactor for Iran, Tehran is angry with Moscow for not completing this project even though Russian technicians have been working on it for many years. The Iranians also saw how Moscow recently cut back on gas deliveries to Ukraine and fear that it might withold enriched uranium deliveries for Iran. Finally, Tehran was furious over Russian support for the Feb. 4 American-urged International Atomic Energy Agency reporting of Iran to the U.N. Security Council regarding its suspicious nuclear activities -- even though Moscow can (and probably will) use its Security Council veto to prevent any serious sanctions being imposed on Iran.
Deep-seated distrust for Russia was evident in several statements made by Iranian officials and commentators in February 2006. In reaction to Russia's (and China's) Feb. 4 IAEA vote, Mohsen Armin, spokesman for the Organization of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution said, "It was perfectly obvious from the start that countries like Russia and China would advertise support for Iran until the last minute to take the greatest possible concessions from America and Europe and ultimately make deals with the two powers and advance their national interests... China and Russia are not in positions to undermine their relations with major powers for the sake of Iran" (Sharq, February 6). In other words, he is not surprised by this Russian (and Chinese) "betrayal" of Iran, and thinks that anyone who expected otherwise is naïve.
Similarly, Majles deputy Javad Jahangirzadeh stated that, "Iranians have bitter memories of relations with Russia over the past one hundred years... The attitude of the Russians toward Iran threatens our independence and humiliates our people" (Mehr News Agency, Feb. 18). It is clear that he expects any interaction with Russia to be harmful to Iran.
Another Majles deputy, Dr. Ali Abbaspour Tehranifard was quoted saying, "Our negotiators have to understand that talks through Russia will do us no good. He said that the Russian proposal that enrichment could take place on Russian soil was useless and without content. He said: Russia should stay faithful to its international commitments. It should settle the case of the atomic reactor in Bushehr and act according to its agreements" (Iranian Students New Agency, Feb. 19). For him the failure of the Russians to complete the nuclear reactor that they have been working on all these years provided a good reason to doubt that Moscow would honor any promise to supply Iran with enriched uranium.
Finally, Ali Reza Akbari, former deputy minister of defense and now head of the Tasmim Strategic Research Center, stated bluntly that, "Iran has no interest in having relations with a weak and second-hand Russia" (Siyasat-e Ruz, February 19). No further elaboration is needed about how he feels!
These statements, and many others like them, all indicate that distrust of Russia really is an important cause of Iranian reluctance to accept Moscow's offer to enrich uranium for it. What this suggests, then, is that it is possible Iran might respond more positively to an offer to enrich uranium by someone it considers more reliable, such as Europe.
The Russians would undoubtedly be offended, but if Iran is more amenable to a European offer to enrich uranium for Tehran, then this should be explored. The real question, of course, is whether Iran would accept it. If Tehran does not, then Western convictions that Iran is indeed seeking to acquire nuclear weapons will be justified. But if it does accept such an offer, Europe could succeed where Russia has failed in defusing what has become a dangerous crisis.
Nu, zayats, pogodi!
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