IRAN MUST FULFILL ALL ITS OBLIGATIONS WITH THE NPT: EL-BRADEH’I
LONDON, 25 Sept. (IPS) With a little bit more than one moth to the ultimatum
fixed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Islamic Republic
to sign the additional Protocol to the Non Proliferation Treaty and at the same
time stop all its uranium enriching activities, Dr Mohammad El-Bradeh’i, the
director of the Vienna-based international nuclear watchdog said if Tehran fails
to comply with the demands, its case would be transferred to the United Nations
for decision.
The IAEA’s 35 members Board of Directors on 12 September passed a resolution, formulated by Australia, Canada and Japan urging the Islamic Republic to sign the Protocol and inform the agency about all its nuclear programs.
Iran described the Resolution as being "politically motivated" and in a show of anger, announced it would continue cooperating with the IAEA and the NPT, but at the "minimum required" by its obligations.
"If Iran fails to comply with the Agency’s demands, including providing all the information concerning its nuclear activities before the fixed date, I would have no choice but to inform the Governors who, in turn, could send the question to the United Nations Security Council for decision", Mr. El-Bradeh’i told the Persian service of the BBC on Thursday.
Iran says its nuclear projects are for civilian purposes only and has no intention of building an atomic arsenal, as alleged by Washington and Tel-Aviv.
But in an address to the Government’s week on 15 September, president Mohammad Khatami explicitly, but indirectly, confirmed that Iran was determined to master the nuclear technology for its defence.
Two days ago, Mr. Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA confirmed that Iran has started enriching uranium at facilities in the central city of Natanz.
According to Mr. El-Bradeh’i, IAEA had started monitoring Iranian
activities for uranium enriching since August 2002, urging Iran to provide all
information on this activity, but so far information collected by the Agency
from the Iranians are incomplete and unreliable.
"However, I hope that Iran would give a positive answer to the ultimatum
and prove that its nuclear programs are for peaceful and civilian purposes"
the Egyptian Director of IAEA added, according to the radio.
"My fear is that if Iran does not accept our decision, it would then have to deal with the United Nations Security Council which, in turn, would deal with the Islamic Republic as a threat to international peace and security", he added.
So far, Iran has not decided if it would accept the Resolution and sign the Protocol, but conservative newspapers that usually reflects the views of Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i, the leader of the Islamic Republic have urged the authorities not to bow to the conditions and get out of the NPT all together.
But Iranian reformers say if the government was allowed to sign the Protocol, it would have escaped the Resolution, described by most of Iranian media as "humiliating".
El-Bradeh’i forcefully rejected Iranian accusations that the 12 September Resolution had been adopted under pressures from Washington and major European nations such as Britain, France and Germany, saying no pressure from anywhere and any power could influence IAEA’s decisions.
"The report we have filed on Iran’s nuclear activities is the result of more than one and a half year researches, inspections and studies", he said, assuring that "no one would contest its reliability.
According to Mr. El-Bradeh’i, now that his Agency has passed a resolution against Iran, the main question is no more the signing of the Protocol, but formal assurance by Tehran that it would respect the NPT to the letter and inform the IAEA about all its nuclear activities "without slightest omission". ENDS IAEA IRAN 25903