Iran To Limit Cooperation With IAEA

TEHRAN, Iran: A nuclear official said Friday Iran will not answer to the UN nuclear watchdog about its plans to build 10 new uranium enrichment sites beyond the barest minimum required under the international nonproliferation treaty.

The comments by Abolfazl Zohrehvand, an adviser to the country’s top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, came days after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran was considering whether to scale back cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency after it approved a resolution censuring Iran over its nuclear program.

If Iran follows through on the threat, it would be another slap to Western efforts to curtail Iran’s nuclear program for fear it is aimed at building weapons.

Tehran on Sunday announced it intends to build the 10 new sites — a statement that followed a strong rebuke from the Vienna-based IAEA and heightened Western concerns over Iran’s real nuclear intentions.

Zohrehvand said Iran will only inform the IAEA after it installs equipment at the new sites and no less than six months prior to injecting uranium gas into centrifuges during the enrichment process. Uranium enriched to low levels is used to produce nuclear fuel but further enrichment could produce material for a nuclear weapon.

“We, like other member states, will inform the agency only after installing the equipment and only 180 days before injecting gas,” Zohrehvand said.

The IAEA says Iran must provide all information about the new sites as soon as they make the decision to build them.

The U.N. watchdog demanded Iran immediately cease all enrichment and halt further construction on a recently revealed uranium enriching facility in a mountainous area near the holy city of Qom.

Iran’s reaction to the rebuke was to pledge to build the 10 new plants — a move some analysts say is bluster. The grandiose scheme is largely impossible as long as sanctions stand in the way and force Iran to turn to black markets and smuggling for nuclear equipment.

Iran claims it has fully cooperated with the IAEA under the Nonproliferation Treaty, especially in disclosing the secret site at Qom this fall.

IAEA rules said a country is required to inform the agency about the existence of any enrichment facility six months before it becomes operational. The agency later expanded those rules to demand countries notify it of intentions to build new sites.

Iran says it withdrew in 2007 from that part of the deal and is now only subject to the six-month notification requirement. But the IAEA says Tehran cannot unilaterally withdraw and still should announce plans about new facilities.

Iran argues its nuclear program is peaceful and insists it has a right to enrich uranium to produce fuel for nuclear reactors to generate electricity. The United Nations has demanded Iran freeze enrichment.

World Powers, Iran Meet In Vienna On Uranium Deal

VIENNA: Iran and world powers will meet in Vienna on Monday for talks on supplying the Islamic Republic, accusing the West of seeking to build an atomic bomb with nuclear fuel.

The talks, which will begin at 3:00 pm (1300 GMT), is considered crucial to resolving the longstanding dispute over Tehran’s nuclear drive because it will require Iran to hand over most of enriched uranium, which has accumulated in defying United Nations resolutions, to a foreign country.

Attending the talks, which the International Atomic Energy Agency said it could take until Tuesday or Wednesday, will be officials from France, Iran, Russia, USA and the IAEA itself.

They will discuss the modalities of a proposed plan earlier this month by Iran to allow Russia and France to enrich uranium to levels required to fuel a research reactor in Tehran, which makes use of isotopes for medical and cancer treatment.

Enriched uranium is the most controversial aspect of Iran’s atomic program, which can be used as fuel in nuclear reactors or, far more pure, like the fissionable material for an atomic bomb.

Iran has so far collected around 1,500 kilograms of low enriched uranium at its plant in Natanz, despite repeated calls by the United Nations, and three rounds of UN sanctions to stop all enrichment activity, until IAEA to determine that the activities are entirely peaceful as Tehran claims.

But Iran needs uranium enrichment means to implement the research reactor and fuel for the reactor is running.

Monday’s meeting is the result of 1 October talks in Geneva, in which Iran agreed to send low-enriched uranium abroad for further purification and subsequent return to Iran.

Diplomats have described the proposal as a “win-win”: the Iranians get the fuel they needed, while at the same time, Western fears dissipated that the material could be used to build a bomb.

In Tehran, Iranian Atomic Energy Organization of Iran stressed that not even stop its enrichment activities at Natanz, whatever the outcome of the talks.

Moreover, even enrich uranium reserves to the level needed if the talks failed.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran … will continue its enrichment activities in Iran, to the five percent level,” the official IRNA news agency quoted the spokesman for the organization, Ali Shirzadian saying.

“But if negotiations do not yield the desired results, Iran begins enriching uranium to a level of 20 percent of its nuclear reactor in Tehran. Never give up this right.”

US Lawmakers Approve Iran Sanctions Bill

WASHINGTON : The US House of Representatives passed legislation on Wednesday to ramp up economic pressure on Tehran over its suspect nuclear program by punishing firms that do business in Iran’s energy sector.

The bill, which sailed through by a 414-6 vote, permits US states, local governments and pension funds to end investments in firms that have 20 million dollars or more invested in Iran’s petroleum or natural gas operations.

“The risks posed by a nuclear Iran — from threats to our allies, to a Middle Eastern arms race, to a nuclear umbrella for terrorists — are too grave to ignore,” said Democratic House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.

Hoyer said he backed President Barack Obama’s diplomatic engagement with Iran but warned that the voted showed “the window for engagement will not remain open indefinitely.”

The legislation does not directly impose sanctions on Iran, but shields states and local governments from lawsuits if they pull their money out of such businesses.

“No one in this country ought to involuntarily have his or her money put to the support of the Iranian economy,” said Democratic House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, the bill’s lead author.

Nineteen states and Washington have enacted laws or other policies to divest their pension funds from international firms that do business with Iran, while US companies are already barred from doing business with the Islamic republic.

“This legislation gives a strong ‘go signal’ to state and local leaders around America to get out of Iran,” said Representative Mark Kirk, the measure’s lead Republican author.

Democratic Senator Bob Casey and Republican Senator Sam Brownback have crafted similar legislation in the Senate and has 36 co-sponsors.

Both chambers must approve identical legislation before it can go to Obama to sign into law.

And lawmakers may soon take more severe action, with pending legislation that would impose sanctions on companies that help Iran import gasoline and other refined petroleum products to meet its domestic energy needs.

“For diplomacy to succeed, we must provide our diplomats more tools for their diplomatic toolbox,” said Kirk, who is also a lead author of that legislation.

The House-approved measure covers any firm that invests 20 million dollars or more in Iran’s energy sector, provides that sum as a credit to be used for such an investments, or provides oil or liquefied natural gas tankers or products used to construct or maintain oil or natural gas pipelines in Iran.

China Says Wants Peaceful Solution To Iran Nuclear Issue

BEIJING : Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Thursday that Beijing would continue to push for a peaceful solution to the standoff over Iran’s nuclear programme, ahead of crucial talks on the issue later this month.

“China will continue to play a constructive role in promoting the peaceful resolution of the Iran nuclear issue,” Wen told Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

The Iranian official met Wen a day after attending a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Beijing, a regional security grouping dominated by Russia and China that pledged solidarity in the face of the global financial crisis.

China is a close ally of Iran, and has repeatedly opposed calls for sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear programme.

Tehran says the programme is for peaceful nuclear energy, but the West fears it masks a drive to make a nuclear bomb.

Negotiations over the issue have been strained but Iran has recently tried to make a show of greater cooperation since taking part in talks in Geneva with major world powers including China at the beginning of the month.

Iran and the six other nations — Britain, France, Russia, China, Germany and the United States — are to meet at the end of October for a second round of talks aimed at allaying Western concerns over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Muhamad Elbaradei Arrives In Iran

LONDON: The head of the IAEA, Mohamed ElBaradei, on Iran is expected to discuss the inspectors access to a recently revealed uranium facility.

Iran announced the existence of the enrichment plant, built on a mountain near the city of Qom, last month.

U.S. President Barack Obama has called on Ukraine to give the UN agency “open” in two weeks.

The IAEA chief is due in Tehran today, two days after the Geneva talks between world powers and Iran.

Authorities said ElBaradei discussed the dates and conditions for the IAEA access to the site, and will meet Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization.

The talks in Geneva earlier this week were the first between Iran and six world powers – the five permanent members of Security Council plus Germany – since July 2008.

The two sides also agreed to hold further talks in October.

Obama said Thursday he hopes that the U.S. Tehran to take “positive actions” to convince the world that he was not trying to build a nuclear weapon.

No Need Of Nuclear Arms, Iran

WASHINGTON : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tehran has no need of nuclear arms, but did not explicitly rule out acquiring them during an interview with US television.

Ahmadinejad made the remarks on NBC television before Iran is scheduled to meet October 1 with the United States and five other powers which are demanding that Tehran halt its disputed nuclear program.

“We have always believed in talking, in negotiation. That is our logic, nothing has changed,” Ahmadinejad told NBC television.

“Nuclear arms, we believe they belong to the past and the past generation,” he said through an interpreter. “We do not see any need for such weapons.”

Asked by an interviewer if he could issue a clearer statement ruling out Iran’s obtaining such weapons, he replied: “You can take from that whatever you want Madam.”

The United States, which suspects Iran may be using its uranium enrichment program as a cover for building a nuclear weapon, wants more explicit answers from Iran in the upcoming talks.

Iran denies the charge, saying its program is for peaceful nuclear energy.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that Iran must answer “head on” concerns about its nuclear program at the meeting even though Tehran has so far ignored such appeals.

Clinton said the point of the meeting between Iran and the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany is to test Tehran’s readiness to discuss such concerns.

Washington will be taking its dual track, or carrot-and-stick, approach to the meeting, Clinton added.

The UN Security Council has imposed three sets of sanctions against Iran over its refusal to freeze its uranium enrichment activities and Washington has threatened to push for new sanctions if engagement with Iran fails.

The six powers are offering diplomatic, trade and other benefits if Iran cooperates.

The six powers — which represent the five veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany — had called for urgent talks with Iran after it handed over the proposals last week.

Washington expressed disappointment with the package, saying it was “not really responsive to our greatest concern,” which is the nuclear issue, but Moscow said it offered “something to dig into.”

According to a copy of the proposals obtained and published by US non-profit investigative journalism group, Pro Publica, Iran said it was prepared to hold “comprehensive, all-encompassing and constructive negotiations.”

Secret Trial Of American Jounalist Held by Iran

TEHRAN: An Iranian-American journalist jailed in Iran and charged with espionage faced a national security court in a one-day trial behind closed doors and a verdict is expected within weeks, the country’s judiciary spokesman here said.

The unusually swift trial in Iran’s Revolutionary Court comes as the United States has publicly pressed for Roxana Saberi’s release.

The 31-year-old was arrested in late January and initially accused of working without press credentials. But an Iranian judge leveled a far more serious allegation against her last week, charging her with spying for the United States.

“Yesterday, the first trial session was held. She presented her final defense,” judiciary spokesman Ali Reza Jamshidi told reporters. “The court will issue its verdict within the next two to three weeks.”

The US government has repeatedly called for Saberi’s release and the charges against her and news of her trial were a setback – especially at a time when President Barack Obama has expressed a willingness to talk with Iran after many years of rocky relations under the Bush administration.

It was unclear why the trial was moving at such a fast pace – especially because the charges leveled against Saberi were so serious.

Under Iranian law, those convicted of spying normally face up to 10 years in prison.

Saberi’s lawyer, Abdel-Samad Khorramshahi, said he was not authorized to speak to the media about the trial.”I will comment only after the verdict is issued,” he said. Saberi, who grew up in North Dakota, has been living in Iran for the last six years, working as a freelance reporter.

An Iranian investigative judge involved in the case has alleged Saberi passed classified information to US intelligence services but did not provide further details.

Human rights groups have repeatedly criticized Iran for arresting journalists and suppressing freedom of speech.

The government has arrested several Iranian-Americans in the past few years, citing alleged attempts to overthrow the goernment through what it calls a “soft revolution.”
They were not charged with espionage and were eventually released from prison.

Iran Warned by Ehud Olmert over Nuk Plant

Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert shot a thinly-veiled warning at Iran on Thursday after its arch-enemy announced the completion of its first nuclear power plant.

“We are a strong country, a very strong country, and we have at our disposal (military) capacities the intensity of which are difficult to imagine,” Olmert told public radio.

“We have deployed enormous efforts to reinforce our deterrence capacity,” he said. “Israel will be able to defend itself in all situations, against all threats, against all enemies. I cannot say more but believe me, I know what I’m talking about.”

Although the remarks did not mention Iran by name they were clearly aimed at the Islamic republic which Israel considers its enemy number one.

Iran began testing its first nuclear power plant Wednesday in the face of deep international concern over its atomic drive and said the long-delayed project could go on line within months.

Officials from Iran and Russia, which has been involving in building the power station for the past 14 years, watched over the start of the pre-commissioning in the Gulf port of Bushehr.

“As for a timetable, the tests should take between four and six, seven months,” the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation Gholam Reza Aghazdeh said at a press conference in Bushehr.

“And if they go smoothly, then it (the launch of Bushehr) will be even sooner.”

He also said Iran is now operating 6,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium, defying international calls that it halt the sensitive nuclear process which is at the heart of Western fears it is secretly trying to build the atomic bomb.

“We have 6,000 centrifuges working and we plan to increase them. In the next five years we plan to have 50,000 centrifuges,” Aghazdeh told reporters.

Iran has rejected repeated calls by the UN Security Council — of which Russia is a permanent member — for a halt to enrichment, despite three sets of sanctions being imposed for its defiance.

The UN nuclear watchdog had said in a report last week that Iran was slowing the expansion of its enrichment activities, with 3,964 centrifuges actively operating in Natanz.

The visiting head of the Russian nuclear agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, announced that construction of the 1,000-megawatt Bushehr plant had been completed but that Russia would remain involved for one year after it goes on stream.

“We have reached a deal to establish a joint venture to operate the plant,” he said, adding that the two sides were also in talks to sign a 10-year contract for the delivery of nuclear fuel by Russia.

Despite being the world’s number four crude producer and having the second largest gas reserves, Iran insists it needs nuclear power to sustain a growing population whose fossil fuels will run out in the coming decades.

The plant’s start-up will be a leap forward in Iran’s efforts to develop nuclear technology but is likely to further unnerve Western powers, rattled by the launch this month of an Iranian satellite on a home-built rocket.

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak called for tougher sanctions against Iran.

“Although the plant is not a central part of Iran’s military nuclear operations, the announcement of completion of work shows the importance of the concrete steps that the free world, led by the United States, should take as time is pressing,” Barak said.

As part of the pre-launch process, Iran was carrying out comprehensive tests of equipment at the plant which Kiriyenko said involved loading dummy fuel rods into the reactor.

“Most of the systems have had more than 97 percent of the equipment installed,” Kiriyenko said, adding that some parts that required further testing included heat insulators.

Bushehr was first launched by the US-backed shah in the 1970s using German contractors but was shelved after the Islamic revolution until Russia became involved in 1995.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been investigating Iran’s nuclear programme for six years, said last week it had been informed by Tehran that the loading of fuel into the reactor was scheduled to take place during the second quarter of 2009.

The 87 tons of fuel supplied by Moscow is currently under IAEA seal.

The IAEA said in a report issued last Thursday that Tehran is continuing to enrich uranium, but has slowed down the expansion of its enrichment activities.

Iran Test Nuclear Power Plant today

Tehran: Iran will test its first nuclear power plant on Wednesday near the Persian Gulf city of Bushehr. The Russian-built nuclear power plant, some 15 km south of Bushehr City, is expected to generate 1,000 megawatt of electricity.

A Russian delegation, led by the country’s state atomic corporation Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko, arrived here early today to oversee the test run of the plant, IRNA reported.

Kiriyenko is expected to attend a joint press conference with Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation (AEO) chief Reza Aqazadeh after visiting the site. The exact date of the commissioning of the plant will also be announced.

AEO’s spokesman Mohsen Delaviz said that the Russian experts would be in Bushehr for another year to help in the plant’s operation as per the agreement with Iran.

In 1974, a German company had initially started the work on the project but abandoned it following Iran’s Islamic revolution in 1979.

A Russian company called “Atomstroyexport” signed a contract in 1995 to complete the project.

Russia supplied nuclear fuel for the plant between December 2007 and January 2008 under the supervision of the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). Iran has agreed to return the spent nuclear fuel to Russia.

Western countries have accused Iran of having plans for developing nuclear bombs, but Tehran insists its nuclear programme is only to generate energy for civilian purposes.

Not For Military Aim Satellite Launched

Tehran: Iran insisted today that the launch of its first home-built satellite has no military aims, despite deep concerns in the West about the development. “This is a scientific and technical achievement and has no military aims,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi told reporters.

Iran’s launch of the Omid (Hope) satellite carried by the home-built Safir-2 rocket on Monday has set alarm bells ringing among Western powers already at loggerheads with Tehran over its nuclear programme.

But hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the move signalled Tehran’s technological achievement and was an attempt to break the Western world’s monopoly on science.

“We should try to break this scientific monopoly,” he said at a seminar on science in Tehran.

“Today science and other technologies are monopolised. We should try to get science out of the control of the arrogant and the selfish,” he said, adding the satellite launch had raised Iran’s global status a “hundred steps”.

The West suspects Iran of secretly trying to build an atomic bomb and fears the technology used to launch a space rocket could be diverted into developing long-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful energy purposes and that it has the right to technology already in the hands of many other nations, including arch foe the United States.

Next Page »