Iran’s Plan to Suspend Uranium Enrichment Falls Short of U.S. Hopes, Diplomats Say
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VIENNA, Austria – Iran is expected to announce this week a full suspension of activities that can be used to make nuclear arms as part of a deal with European powers, diplomats said yesterday.
Iran’s foreign minister also indicated the preliminary agreement negotiated with France, Germany, and Britain could be signed soon, but Iranian hardliners criticized the deal and urged the government to ignore calls to continue the suspension of nuclear activities.
“The trend of negotiations was a positive trend,” the foreign minister, Kamal Kharrazi, told Iranian state run TV yesterday. “We hope the deal between Iran and Europeans can be finalized and create the necessary confidence.”
Outlining for the first time the contours of a confidential agreement hammered out over the weekend, the diplomats said on condition of anonymity that the deal still could collapse because of resistance to cooperation with the Europeans by conservative leaders in the Islamic republic.
Iran suspended uranium enrichment last year but has repeatedly and at high levels refused to stop other related activities such as reprocessing uranium or building centrifuges, insisting its program is intended purely for the production of fuel for nuclear power generation.
“We came very close to agreement but we still need to hear the final word” from Iran, said a spokeswoman for the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Javier Solana.
One of the diplomats, who was briefed on the substance of the weekend talks in Paris, agreed, saying, “We think it will be a yes – the noises are positive but we are not sure.”
Any such deal would be significant because it would commit Iran not only to continue its voluntary freeze on enriching uranium – which can be used to make nuclear weapons – but also to stop related activities.
Uranium enriched to a low level can be used to produce nuclear fuel for reactors to generate electricity. If enriched further it can be used to make nuclear weapons.
The International Atomic Energy Agency unanimously passed a resolution in September demanding Iran freeze all work on uranium enrichment and related activities, and the U.N. nuclear watchdog is to judge Iran’s compliance at a November 25 board of governors meeting.
But Tehran has defied the agency by continuing to build centrifuges, which are used in the enrichment process and uranium reprocessing, and by converting a few tons of raw uranium into hexafluoride gas – a stage before enrichment.
In a provision sure to be opposed by America, the weekend deal would only commit Iran to suspending its work until it reaches agreement with the European Union that would give it economic and technological assistance, including help in building a peaceful nuclear industry, the diplomats said.
Washington wants a guarantee of indefinite suspension if not an outright scrapping of Iran’s domestic enrichment plans and says Iran should be referred to the U.N. Security Council to face possible sanctions if it does not.
If Iran accepts the deal, American hopes of building consensus on referring the case to the 15-nation Security Council at the IAEA’s 35-nation board meeting are unlikely.
One of the diplomats acknowledged approval of the deal by the Iranians could lead to tensions between the Europeans and Washington.
“If we solve a problem with the Iranians we hope there will not be a problem with the Americans,” the diplomat said.
But hard-liners in Tehran called on the government to ignore demands it suspend nuclear activities.