Vienna – The European Union and United States backpedaled Thursday in their drive to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council for nuclear treaty violations, following strong opposition from other countries on the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog.
Russia, China and members of the 115-nation Non-Aligned Movement said during a closed board meeting that they opposed a draft EU resolution backed by the U.S. to escalate pressure on Iran through a Security Council referral.
That prompted the EU to float a second, somewhat softer resolution, but it, too, quickly came under fire.
EU diplomats were scrambling Thursday night to gauge which of the two resolutions had greater support and whether to force a potentially divisive vote before the board meeting’s scheduled end today.
The EU and U.S. contend that Iran engaged in a covert 18-year program to develop nuclear technologies, including nuclear weapons, and should be reported to the Security Council. That body could impose sanctions or take other actions to try to force Iran to fully disclose and curtail its illicit activities.
Iran responds that it is working only toward peaceful nuclear energy, and notes that independent inspections in Iran have found no evidence of nuclear weapons development.
At a meeting this week of the 35-member board of the IAEA, the opposing sides launched intense lobbying campaigns. The EU and United States argue that doing nothing against Iran will undermine efforts to stem nuclear proliferation. Backing down now could hurt their credibility, diplomats and analysts here said.
At Thursday’s board meeting, the representative of Russia, which is helping Iran build a $1 billion nuclear reactor, reportedly said taking Iran to the Security Council would be “counterproductive.”
China’s representative on the board advocated settling the issue by “diplomatic means” and “continued dialogue.” Both China and Russia wield vetoes on the Security Council.
