Iran not only resumed uranium enrichment efforts this week in defiance of international entreaties to scrap its nuclear program, but it has barred U.N. inspectors from making sudden inspections of its nuclear facilities. These ominous moves that come in the face of diplomatic efforts meant to deter Iran from developing a weapons capability that could destabilize the already volatile Middle East.
We hope Russia, Europe, the U.S. and the U.N. will work quickly to dissuade Iran, but given the reckless rhetoric of its new president, it looks like tough going.
Iran claims its intentions are pure and that it is merely trying to develop nuclear technology for fuel. But global fears have only escalated since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power last year calling for the destruction of Israel. Uranium enrichment is a first step toward developing nuclear weapons, and Iranian R&D fits the bill for a nuclear arsenal.
International jitters were not calmed when Ahmadinejad last weekend made a veiled threat to mimic North Korea and withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. He also scoffed at a proposal by Russia to enrich the uranium in Russia and return it to Iran for peaceful energy use.
In a speech in Tehran, Ahmadinejad said, “They say that they will produce the fuel somewhere else and then they will hand it over to us. We say, what a surprise. Do you expect us to be stupid enough to believe you?”
Despite his statement, it was greeted with relief in some quarters Wednesday when a Russian official confirmed that Iran would go forward with talks in Moscow on Monday on Russia’s offer to enrich uranium for Tehran.
It’s a familiar Tehran tactic to leave a door open but withhold any real progress. Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad warned citizens to brace for economic sanctions, which he has said will not shake Iran’s will to move ahead on the nuclear front.
The International Atomic Energy Agency reported Iran to the U.S. Security Council on Feb. 4. Still, no action will be taken until after the IAEA board meets March 6 and gets an update from U.N. monitors. The Security Council has not indicated what type of action it would take against Iran. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told a wary Senate hearing Wednesday that the Bush administration will “walk a fine line” in seeking sanctions against Iran.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed hope after a meeting with President Bush this week that a resolution can be reached. “And I hope there will be no steps taken to escalate the situation,” he said.
