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Iran says no uranium enrichment yet, ready to talk
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-02-17 10:14
Iran said on Thursday it had not yet begun any uranium enrichment and was
still ready to negotiate on a Russian proposal for resolving a dispute with the
West over its nuclear program.
French Foreign
Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy gestures during a news conference in
Ankara, February 1, 2006. Douste-Blazy said on Thursday Iran was pursuing
a clandestine military nuclear program.
[Reuters] | The Islamic Republic said the UN
nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), could monitor
its nuclear program despite Tehran's decision to remove some surveillance
cameras. The only solution to the impasse, it said, was for the West to stop
threats and focus on negotiations.
No immediate comment was available from the Vienna-based IAEA, which has said
Iran resumed small-scale feeding of uranium gas into centrifuge enrichment
machines on Tuesday after a break of 2-1/2 years.
Earlier on Thursday, France accused Iran of pursuing a secret military
nuclear program, drawing a swift rebuke from Tehran before talks next week on
the Russian proposal. Iran says its nuclear program is solely for power
generation.
The United States said the international community was very concerned about
Iran developing nuclear arms but diplomacy was being used to try to resolve the
standoff. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was very optimistic about the
diplomacy.
WESTERN SUSPICIONS
Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Agency, told state
television Tehran had not yet enriched any uranium, a process Western countries
suspect could lead to the development of nuclear weapons.
"We have injected gas into a very small number of centrifuges ... but we have
not even reached to the stage of even a small pilot test. Testing on the 164
centrifuges has not happened yet," Aghazadeh said.
"(The Russian proposal) can be studied. We should not deprive ourselves from
our right of processing in any negotiation."
Russia has offered to enrich Iranian uranium on its soil and return it to
Iran for use in atomic reactors, thereby easing international concerns Iran
could produce bomb-grade uranium.
"Even after we scaled down the supervisions to the framework of the NPT
(nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty), the agency still does not have any problems
about the supervision of our activities," Aghazadeh said.
"Those surveillance cameras that were not required by the Additional Protocol
were removed, but those that are needed according to the Additional Protocol are
still in their places."
Iran signed the Additional Protocol to the NPT in 2003, thereby allowing
short-notice inspections of its atomic sites. But the Iranian parliament has not
ratified it.
Aghazadeh said threats against Iran would only backfire.
"We are ready to negotiate and we will negotiate, it is better for them to
stop threatening us," he said.
"I believe that apart from America and Israel, the other countries want to
find a way out of the current situation and we want a solution as well, so
everyone should make an attempt to resolve the issue."
FRENCH WARNING
In the earlier exchanges that boded ill for talks in Moscow on Monday on the
Russian proposal, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Iran's
nuclear work could not possibly be designed for civilian uses alone.
"No civilian nuclear program can explain the Iranian nuclear program. So it
is a clandestine Iranian military nuclear program," Douste-Blazy told France 2
television.
"The international community has sent a very firm message by saying to the
Iranians: 'Come back to reason. Suspend all nuclear activity and the enrichment
of uranium and the conversion of uranium'. They are not listening to us."
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani responded with a warning to the
West not to hector Tehran.
"I suggest that Mr. Douste-Blazy use a diplomatic tone and avoid increasing
the tension," said Larijani.
Iran's Energy Minister Parviz Fattah said despite huge oil and gas reserves
the country needed nuclear power to meet booming demand.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said: "We are continuing to pursue a
diplomatic approach to resolve this matter. The international community is very
concerned about (Iran's) continued pursuit of a nuclear weapons capability."
Merkel told German ZDF television: "I am very optimistic. The diplomatic
route has every chance of success."
China, which like France is a permanent U.N. Security Council member, said it
was concerned about the standoff.
"It's extremely important for the international community to uphold the
consensus on resolving the Iran nuclear issue through diplomatic means," Foreign
Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.
A top Russian general said Washington might eventually use force against
Iran, with perilous consequences for the world.
"Can the developments surrounding Iran follow a military path? I cannot rule
this out," Russian Chief of Staff General Yuri Baluyevsky was quoted as saying
by Interfax news agency.
Douste-Blazy said the U.N. Security Council would decide what action to take
on Iran once IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei submitted a report in March.
The IAEA's board of governors decided on February 4 to report Iran to the
council, which has the power to impose sanctions.
Aghazadeh said military threats against Iran were worthless.
"Sanctions and military threats are not effective and they have a lot of
experience from attacking Iraq," he said.
"Even if we are sent to the U.N. Security Council, there is no way but
negotiations."
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