Iran ignores nuclear deadline
Iran has ignored the 30-day deadline set by the UN security council to stop its uranium enrichment programme, the UN nuclear watchdog ruled today.
As expected, Dr Mohammed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), delivered a negative verdict on Tehran’s nuclear programme.
The report said Iran had done little during a 30-day grace period to answer a series of questions about its programme that could determine whether it was solely for civilian purposes.
It said IAEA tests confirmed Iran’s claims earlier this month to have enriched uranium with a cascade of 164 centrifuges to the low level needed to create nuclear energy. A much higher level of enrichment is needed to create atomic weapons. The IAEA report was being sent to the security council.
The focus will now move to a meeting next week in which officials from the US, Britain, France, Russia and China – the permanent UN security council members – and Germany will discuss imposing sanctions.
It is not clear, however, what will be decided at the meeting; Moscow and Beijing reiterated yesterday that they remain opposed to punitive measures.
Not surprising, but not good either. I remain convinced that a nuclear armed Iran would be worse for everyone, Iranians included, than military strikes against Iran, and that only military strikes (or the threat of them if they believed we would follow through) are likely to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons.
