Signature of first agreement on Iran’s nuclear program due tomorrow

Beirut (AsiaNews) – An agreement is due to be signed tomorrow that should set about solving the Iranian nuclear issue, following in the talks between Iran, the United States, France and the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna established a draft deal on enrichment of uranium outside Iran. The document must now be approved by governments.

According to the Secretary-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammed ElBaradei (photo), under the deal Iran will sell most of its low-grade enriched uranium (up to 5%) to third party countries (Russia and France) who will then deliver to Iran enriched to 20% exclusively for civilian use in a reactor for medical research controlled by the IAEA. "I have great hope - ElBaradei said after the signing of the draft agreement - that people can see the big picture, that the agreement may be the way to a complete normalization of relations between Iran and the international community."   

If approved, therefore, the agreement would reduce international tension, at least regarding Iran. In Tehran, however, there are the usual mixed signals, from an obscure statement made by the unofficial Press TV that "Iran would prefer to buy rather than trade atomic fuel".

Moreover, today the official IRNA news agency reported "several arrests" made in the course of investigations into last Sunday’s attack that caused 42 deaths, including a top ranking Revolutionary Guard official, Nour Ali Shoushtari. The head of the Iranian police, Esmail Ahmadi-Moghaddam, who announced the arrests, added, without giving further details, that negotiations are ongoing with Pakistan, about "arrests of the main leaders of the terrorist attack."  

Despite Tehran's charges against the United States, Israel and Pakistan as being responsible for the attack, there are many doubts surrounding the incident.  Some believe the assault is related to tensions inside the country, and that even Pasdaran are involved, not all being in favour of the harsh repression of those who criticize the regime.

In favour of the repression, instead, the one hundred parliamentarians in Tehran who have called for Mir Hossein Moussavi to be brought to trial. According to his accusers, the reformist leader has committed a "crime against the nation" by questioning the results of presidential elections last June. The letter of Deputies, according to IRNA, was delivered to the chief prosecutor Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie.  

If indicted, Moussavi would join another former reformist candidate Mehdi Karrubi, recently indicted for having denounced alleged rapes against some of those arrested in street demonstrations last summer. (PD)