Iran: We will not betray nuclear promises

With an imminent deadline to prove they are not trying to produce nuclear weapons, Iranian officials have rejected suggestions that they may renege on commitments to the international community on the country’s nuclear programme.

IAEA's Muhammad al-Baraday called the report comprehensive

Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali Akbar Salehi, told an Iranian news agency the IAEA had all the information it needed to produce a report showing
Iran was pursuing a purely civilian nuclear energy programme.

Iran submitted the declaration to the IAEA on 23 October, detailing its nuclear activities which Washington suspects is a cover for building atomic weapons.

The IAEA had given Tehran an ultimatum to prove by 31 October that it has no secret arms programme, or be reported to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

“Iran’s will is to remove all the agency’s ambiguities and to take all necessary steps to enable the agency to present a positive report to its governor’s board,” Salihi told the student news agency ISNA. 

“When we make an undertaking at the international level, we respect it,” another official said, asking not be identified.

‘Comprehensive report’

Last week, Iran handed over a massive report on its nuclear programme, which IAEA director general Muhammad al-Baraday said on Thursday, “at first glance … looks comprehensive.”

Iran hosted German, French and British officials earlier this month
Iran hosted German, French and British officials earlier this month

Iran hosted German, French and
British officials earlier this month

Salehi told ISNA: “Al-Baraday’s positive remarks were a reaction to Iran’s truthfulness and its cooperation with the agency. We have always said Iran is determined to cooperate with the agency…

“We are optimistic about the future and we hope that soon Iran’s nuclear case will be closed for ever,” Salehi added.

Salehi said the IAEA inspectors currently in Iran will stay until Sunday night.

Ahead of Friday’s deadline set by the IAEA last month, Iran had made a string of concessions to fall into line with the watchdog’s demands.

Unprecedented meeting

During an unprecedented joint visit by the British, French and German foreign ministers earlier this month, it also pledged to suspend uranium enrichment and sign up to the tougher inspections regime set out in the additional protocol.

But the United States has expressed doubts about the Islamic government’s readiness to deliver on its undertakings.

“(The Iranians) need to follow through on what they’ve committed to do and meet their international obligations,” White House spokesman Scott McClellan said on Wednesday.

Iran has yet to actually suspend uranium enrichment or formally notify the IAEA of its intention to sign the additional protocol.

But its representative to the watchdog, Ali Akbar Salihi, said on Tuesday that the halting of Iran’s work on the nuclear fuel cycle was “probably a matter of weeks.”

The letter for the IAEA had already been drafted and would be delivered in a “matter of days”, he said.

Source: AFP