Threats and overtures in London over Iran’s nuclear programme
London (AsiaNews/Agencies) – How to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table through threats or new sanctions was at the centre of today’s Five+One meeting in London. In the British capital the five permanent members of the United Nations security Council—United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom and France—plus Germany discussed ways to respond to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Iran’s non compliance with the demand that it suspend its uranium-enrichment programme as requested by the Security Council. Among the measures talked about there were a travel ban in the West on Iranian officials and economic restrictions.
A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Blair said talks were a “preliminary exercise” aimed at working out how to react to Iran's decision to increase production rather than suspend its uranium enrichment.
Offers to talk and threats in case of failure were heard from all sides on the eve of the meeting as they tried to put pressure on each other.
Rumours have been flying around about possible US strikes against Iranian nuclear plants. Even though the Pentagon denied such allegations, Vice-President Dick Cheney renewed a warning during a trip to the Asia-Pacific region. In Sidney he said it would a grave error to allow Iran develop nuclear weapons and that all options were on the table.
In Iran, Deputy Foreign Minister for Education and Research Manuchehr Mohammadi said that Tehran was ready for war if necessary to the latter was like a train with "no brake and no reverse gear.”
In a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, European Union Foreign Affairs Chief Xavier Solana said that generally speaking it was not a good idea to have a train without breaks, even less when it involves something like nuclear power. “Breaks,” he said, “are always useful in life.”
“What I think however Iran should not do is make any mistake about the unity of the international community in opposition to its continued (flouting) of what the UN has said its obligations are,” Tony Blair’s spokesperson said.
Remarks by Ahmadinejad, who is travelling to Khartoum in Sudan to drum up support, have also been criticised by some Iranian papers, in their view, Iran’s nuclear programme is currently rudderless. Similarly, some Iranian politicians have expressed their own objections.
Criticism within Iranian ruling circles has raised questions about where Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stands. Doubts have been detected in a statement by former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami who said on Sunday that negotiation requires goodwill and not pre-conditions. Similarly, “suspending uranium enrichment as a precondition for talks is an illegal and illogical demand, and it is in contradiction with the Iranian nation's dignity," government spokesman Gholamhossein Elham said.
Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said that Iran is prepared to consider in a positive way a formal US request for talks as long as there are no preconditions.
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa is quoted in Egypt’s Middle East News Agency (MENA) as calling for continued dialogue instead of military action or legal procedures that could lead to the deterioration of the situation in the region.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also voiced concern over a possible US attack against Iran. “Anticipations and suppositions suggesting a possible strike on Iran have grown frequent, and this is alarming,” he said.
Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Saeed Jalili told Fars news agency that the big powers Iran must win Tehran's trust and remove any concern that Iran may have.
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