Iran Update
News and comment on the diplomatic movements
over Iran's nuclear programme
No. 118 - 7 May 2008
If you do not want to receive this update please
send an email to request removal from the list. Feedback on
format and content is also gladly received. In particular
we are keen to hear feedback of how useful you find this update.
Please e-mail comments by reply to pingram at basicint.org.
An archive of previous Iran Updates is available
at: http://www.basicint.org/updates/iran.htm.
Summary
- Iran to answer IAEA's questions following intelligence
allegations
- P5 + Germany met in London to discuss new incentives
- Iranian proposal on ending nuclear deadlock being seriously
considered by Russia
- Inside Iran's Natanz nuclear plant
- NATO and E.U. criticized says Iran's nuclear programme
- Iranians vote in second stage of parliamentary elections
IAEA and Iranian officials are to meet again later this month
to discuss the IAEA's intelligence evidence of Iran's past
nuclear weapon programme. This is the first time Iran has
agreed to discuss the allegations in detail, rather than just
denying them, and has been hailed
as a "milestone" by IAEA director Mohammed ElBaradei.
He is due to release his next quarterly report on Iran's nuclear
programme by the end of the month.
The P5+1 met in London last Friday to discuss strengthening
the incentives package necessary to convince the Irans to
suspend their enrichment programme. On the eve of the meeting,
US Secretary of State, Condoleezza
Rice expressed her obvious frustration with the focus
and advocated more intense enforcement of Security Council
resolutions rather than an incentives package: "The Iranians
haven't shown any interest... I don't care what's been put
before them... in doing what they need to do, which is to
suspend enrichment and reprocessing... Nothing has been able
so far to change the fundamental problem ... It's Iran that's
the problem.... We've got to intensify our efforts on the
UN Security Council resolutions themselves." However, UK Foreign
Secretary David Miliband came out of the meeting claiming
the group had reached agreement on an enhanced package of
incentives building upon the offer made in June 2006. Iran
responded
that it was not about to give up its rights and would not
suspend enrichment.
In stark contrast, the Russians are taking
seriously an Iranian proposal about to break the international
deadlock. Valentin Sobolev, acting secretary of Russia's National
Security Council, met with top Iranian nuclear negotiator,
Saeed Jalili last week and is expected to meet President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad and Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki before
leaving Iran on Wednesday. No details of the Iranian proposal
have yet been made pubic.
April 8th, President Ahmadinejad visited Natanz with a number
of cabinet members including the Defence Minister. Photos
from the visit were later released by the Iranian government
. The New York Times has chronicled and analyzed the photos,
their work can be found here.
Much of the piece was based on the blog arms
control wonk. The images have been seen as crucial evidence
of Iran's progress in cracking the enrichment technology.
NATO's Secretary-General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, has
spoken out against Iran's nuclear programme, saying "Iran's
pursuit of uranium enrichment capability in violation of its
UN Security Council obligations is a serious concern not just
for Iran's neighbors but for the entire international community".
EU
and Iranian
delegations have been clashing at the NPT Preparatory Committee
in Geneva over the nuclear programme.
Results of the second round of voting in Iran's Parliamentary
elections, held on Friday April 15th, have yet to be announced.
This round was to decide 82 of the 290 parliamentary seats.
Ita O'Sullivan BASIC
Stories and Links
US Military Criticizes Iran but Says No Strike Plan, Reuters,
April 30
http://www.reuters.com/article/asiaCrisis/idUSN30544904
Iran-Europe Gas Deals Anger Washington, Financial Times,
April 30
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/a473f7de-16d5-11dd-bbfc-
0000779fd2ac,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http
%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Fa473f7de-16d5-11dd-bbfc-
0000779fd2ac.html%3Fnclick_check%3D1&_i_referer=&nclick_check=1
Azerbaijani frees Russian equipment for Bushehr nuclear
plant, Tehran Times, May 4
http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=167748
Iran Complains to U.N. About Clinton Comment, Reuters,
April 30, 2008
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN3055658220080501
Israeli President Takes Swipe at Iran's Nuclear Program,
The Washington Post, April 30
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/
content/article/2008/04/30/AR2008043002790.html
Bush Says Syria Nuclear Disclosure Intended to Prod North
Korea and Iran, NY Times, April 30
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/30/washington/30prexy.html?
_r=3&scp=1&sq=syria+nuclear+disclosure&st=nyt&oref=slogin&oref=
slogin&oref=slogin
Iran Ends Oil Transactions In U.S. Dollars, CBS News,
April 30
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/30/business/main4057490.shtml
Putin Promises Iran Continuity in Relations, The Washington
Post, April 30
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/
content/article/2008/04/30/AR2008043000655.html
Gates Says 2nd Carrier in Gulf is Reminder to Iran, Associated
Press, April 29
http://ap.google.com/article/
ALeqM5jATc3uwVfdP33zpLBLu-AXZ06bBAD90BTBP00
Comments, Editorial and Analysis
Hawkish Engagement Needed with Iran?, Brookings Institution,
May 4
http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2008/0421_iran_ohanlon.aspx?p=1
Shirin Ebadi: 'Don't Attack Iran', by Robert Dreyfuss,
The Nation, April 29, 2008
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080512/dreyfuss
Time for a Diplomatic Surge, Right Web, April 29
http://rightweb.irc-online.org/rw/4910.html
|
