IRAN TO SUSPEND URANIUM ENRICHING PROGRAMS

TEHRAN, 21 Oct. (IPS) The Islamic Republic of Iran accepted Tuesday to both suspend its controversial uranium enrichment programs and sign the Additional Protocols to the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT), escaping possible sanctions by the United Nations.

Tehran’s bowing to the demands formulated last month by the International Atomic energy Agency (IAEA) ahead of the 31 October deadline fixed by the Vienna-based United Nations nuclear watchdog was announced by Hojjatoleslam Hasan Rohani, the influential Secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council of National Security (SCNS).

Iranian analysts speculated that Tehran’s bowing to IAEA conditions would open a rift between the ruling conservatives as some of them had opposed the idea, describing it an insult to Islam and Iran’s independence, suggesting to adopt North Korea as model of engaging IAEA.

The agreement prompted a protest from some 100 hard-liners gathered outside the meeting site, the Hafezieh Conference Building, to chant and wave signs denouncing any compliance with the agency's demands.

"Shame on your hypocrisy, imperialist ambassadors," read one banner.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Tehran at the end of a short, but crucial visit by foreign affairs ministers of Britain, France and Germany, Mr. Rohani stressed that the Protocols should not threaten Iran’s national security, interests and pride".

“Iran would suspend enriching uranium for an interim period to express its goodwill and create a new atmosphere of trust and confidence building with the international community", Mr. Rohani told reporters.

The signing of the Protocols would allow IAEA inspectors to go to Iran at will and visit all Iranian nuclear-related sites and facilities without conditions.

In a statement, Iran said it would abide by the protocol even before it is ratified by parliament, as is required.

The announcement came after weeks of mounting pressure on Iran to accept unrestricted access to its nuclear facilities and also stop at once all its uranium enriching programs, as demanded by the IAEA Egyptian director Mohammad el-Bradeh’i.

The United States that accuses Iran of building a nuclear arsenal cautiously welcomed the agreement, saying “if Iran follows through with its promises, it would be a positive step in the right direction", the White House press secretary Scott McClellan said, adding that "Full compliance by Iran will now be essential".

Jack Straw of Britain, Dominique de Villepin of France and Joschka Fischer of Germany flew to Tehran early Tuesday and immediately met Mr. Rohani for more than four hours and the lamed President Mohammad Khatami, warning them that if the Islamic Republic fails to meet IAEA demands, which are also backed by both the United States and the European Union, it could face harsh sanctions by the UN’s Security Council.

Iran also agreed to hand over other information long sought by the IAEA, said diplomats in Vienna, quoted by the American news agency Associated Press.

“Most importantly, the diplomats said on condition of anonymity, Iran promised to account for the origin of traces of weapons-grade uranium that IAEA inspectors discovered at two facilities, raising alarm bells in Vienna and Washington”, the diplomat added.

According to Dr el-Barade’i, Iran’s uranium enriching activities that had been kept secret from the IAEA and discovered after information provided by Iranian opposition groups were more important than signing the Protocols.

The joint Iranian-British-French-German statement included a reiteration of Iran's position that "nuclear weapons have no place in Iran's defence doctrine and that its nuclear program and activities have been exclusively in the peaceful domain".

France, Britain and Germany agreed that "the full implementation of Iran's decisions, confirmed by the IAEA director general, should enable the immediate situation to be resolved by the IAEA board", the joint statement said.

Fischer told reporters that signing and ratifying the additional protocol and stopping enrichment is "very important, and that based on this, we can move forward in a serious and honest dialogue."

For its part, Mr. Straw made it clear that “from now on, the Islamic Republic is facing the international community and not the IAEA alone”.

“The agreement we reached today with the Iranian authorities is part of the confidence building process”, pointed out Mr. De Villepin.

This is a very important day," Mr. de Villepin said. "We were facing a major issue. Proliferation is a major challenge to the world, and today we found a solution to the pending issue".

“This important step reached today should answer concerns expressed by Washington and Israel over Iranian atomic activities”, commented Dr Davood Hermidas-Bavand of Tehran University speaking to the Prague-based Radio Farda.

“Iran reiterated again the nuclear weapons have no room in its defence strategy and all its nuclear programs are for civilian and peaceful purposes”, the joint agreement said, adding that the three foreign affairs ministers welcomed the Iranian stand and in return assured that the Islamic Republic is entitled to benefit from nuclear technology in the framework of the NPT clauses”. ENDS IAEA IRAN AGREEMENT 211003