Kilgor
01-31-2006, 06:01 PM
Its on !
Russia, China back Iran action
David Nason, New York correspondent
February 01, 2006
RUSSIA and China have bowed to pressure from the US and Europe to send Iran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions over its nuclear program.
After months of resistance, the Russian and Chinese foreign ministers abandoned their softly-softly approach towards Tehran's nuclear ambitions at a late-night private dinner in London at the home of British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.
They signed a joint statement yesterday asking the International Atomic Energy Agency to formally refer all issues related to Iran's nuclear capacity and compliance to the Security Council, where sanctions and other penalties could be imposed.
Bush administration officials described the decision by the major nuclear powers and the European Union as a breakthrough in the effort to press Iran to give up nuclear activities.
"This is certainly the most decisive action taken on Iran by the international community in years," a senior US State Department official said. "This is a clear signal that the international community are saying 'enough'."
The surprise development is the first time all five Security Council permanent members - the US, Britain, France, Russia and China - have issued the threat of sanctions, a move that will inflame Middle East tensions and put upward pressure on oil prices.
The statement calls on Iran to suspend all activities related to uranium enrichment, the process that makes fuel for nuclear weapons.
Under the agreement, the five permanent members of the council gave Iran a chance for further negotiations when they said the 15-member Security Council should wait a month before discussing sanctions.
That gives Iran more time to comply with UN nuclear inspection requests and avoid the threat of sanctions.
Also significant is the fact that China and Russia - both close trading partners of Iran and holders of Security Council veto powers - have given no indication how they would vote on any future sanctions resolution.
But a senior US official told The Washington Post the announcement reflected "growing frustration" among all the parties over Iran's defiance of the UN watchdog.
"I think Iran's on the defensive. Iran did not expect this," said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The IAEA's 35-member board of governors is to meet in Geneva tomorrow on Iran's nuclear program - in particular Tehran's controversial decision to resume uranium enrichment activities.
The six countries said in yesterday's statement that the board of the IAEA "should report to the Security Council its decision on the steps required of Iran" during its meeting.
Tehran insists its nuclear ambitions are peaceful but many nations, most notably the US and Israel, believe Iran's increasingly erratic and hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is intent on developing a nuclear bomb.
Last month, Mr Ahmadinejad defied world opinion when he ordered the resumption of Iran's nuclear fuel research and the removal of UN seals on uranium enrichment equipment.
Mr Ahmadinejad has already threatened to respond to any UN sanctions against Iran by turning off his country's oil supplies.
Iran produces 2.6 million barrels of oil a day, about 5 per cent of the world's supply, and is second only to Saudi Arabia in reserves, with an estimated 125.8 billion barrels, meaning its importance as a producer will grow.
Iran also has about 16 per cent of the world's reserves of natural gas, the energy equivalent of about 155 billion barrels ofoil.
Tehran has pointed out that it has the capacity to disrupt the shipping of oil supplies from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait through the Persian Gulf, where 40 per cent of the world's oil exports transit
Russia, China back Iran action
David Nason, New York correspondent
February 01, 2006
RUSSIA and China have bowed to pressure from the US and Europe to send Iran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions over its nuclear program.
After months of resistance, the Russian and Chinese foreign ministers abandoned their softly-softly approach towards Tehran's nuclear ambitions at a late-night private dinner in London at the home of British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.
They signed a joint statement yesterday asking the International Atomic Energy Agency to formally refer all issues related to Iran's nuclear capacity and compliance to the Security Council, where sanctions and other penalties could be imposed.
Bush administration officials described the decision by the major nuclear powers and the European Union as a breakthrough in the effort to press Iran to give up nuclear activities.
"This is certainly the most decisive action taken on Iran by the international community in years," a senior US State Department official said. "This is a clear signal that the international community are saying 'enough'."
The surprise development is the first time all five Security Council permanent members - the US, Britain, France, Russia and China - have issued the threat of sanctions, a move that will inflame Middle East tensions and put upward pressure on oil prices.
The statement calls on Iran to suspend all activities related to uranium enrichment, the process that makes fuel for nuclear weapons.
Under the agreement, the five permanent members of the council gave Iran a chance for further negotiations when they said the 15-member Security Council should wait a month before discussing sanctions.
That gives Iran more time to comply with UN nuclear inspection requests and avoid the threat of sanctions.
Also significant is the fact that China and Russia - both close trading partners of Iran and holders of Security Council veto powers - have given no indication how they would vote on any future sanctions resolution.
But a senior US official told The Washington Post the announcement reflected "growing frustration" among all the parties over Iran's defiance of the UN watchdog.
"I think Iran's on the defensive. Iran did not expect this," said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The IAEA's 35-member board of governors is to meet in Geneva tomorrow on Iran's nuclear program - in particular Tehran's controversial decision to resume uranium enrichment activities.
The six countries said in yesterday's statement that the board of the IAEA "should report to the Security Council its decision on the steps required of Iran" during its meeting.
Tehran insists its nuclear ambitions are peaceful but many nations, most notably the US and Israel, believe Iran's increasingly erratic and hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is intent on developing a nuclear bomb.
Last month, Mr Ahmadinejad defied world opinion when he ordered the resumption of Iran's nuclear fuel research and the removal of UN seals on uranium enrichment equipment.
Mr Ahmadinejad has already threatened to respond to any UN sanctions against Iran by turning off his country's oil supplies.
Iran produces 2.6 million barrels of oil a day, about 5 per cent of the world's supply, and is second only to Saudi Arabia in reserves, with an estimated 125.8 billion barrels, meaning its importance as a producer will grow.
Iran also has about 16 per cent of the world's reserves of natural gas, the energy equivalent of about 155 billion barrels ofoil.
Tehran has pointed out that it has the capacity to disrupt the shipping of oil supplies from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait through the Persian Gulf, where 40 per cent of the world's oil exports transit