ElBaradei report vindicates Iran
A report issued by the UN nuclear watchdog agency on Thursday confirmed the transparency of Iran’s nuclear program and said it found Tehran to be generally truthful about key aspects of its nuclear history.
Much of the 10-page report focused on the history of Iran’s past development of its enrichment technology -- and the agency appeared to be giving Tehran a pass on that issue, repeatedly saying it concludes that “Iran’s statements are consistent with… information available to the agency.”
“The agency has been able to conclude that answers provided on the declared past P-1 and P-2 centrifuge programs are consistent with its findings. We will, however, continue to seek corroboration and to verify the completeness of Iran’s declarations,” the report stated, BBC reported.
In his report, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said, “Iran has provided sufficient access to individuals and has responded in a timely manner to questions and provided clarification and amplifications on issues raised in the context of the work plan.”
The IAEA report, released to its 35 board members, also confirmed that Tehran continued to defy the UN Security Council by refusing to freeze its uranium enrichment.
Yet, as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran has the right to conduct uranium enrichment for civilian purposes.
The IAEA Board of Governors will convene in Vienna on November 22 to discuss the report.
ElBaradei’s report followed an Iran-IAEA deal in August in which Tehran agreed to provide answers to the remaining questions over its nuclear program within a timetable.
The plutonium issue, which was one of the most important ambiguities about Iran’s nuclear program, has already been resolved.
No more pretext for Security Council to sanction Iran: MP
Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Chairman Alaeddin Borujerdi said here on Thursday that there is no longer any pretext for the UN Security Council to issue a new resolution against Iran.
In the past, it was said that the Security Council issued resolutions against Iran because of the ambiguities in the country’s nuclear dossier and because Tehran had not provided proper answers to the IAEA, Borujerdi told the Mehr News Agency.
Now there is no reason to issue a new resolution against Iran, the MP added.
If the Security Council makes decisions influenced by the irrational U.S. political pressure, the prominent international body will be discredited, he observed.
Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Director Gholamreza Aqazadeh told Iranian state television on Thursday that ElBaradei’s latest report leaves no legal grounds for Iran’s nuclear dossier to remain on the UN Security Council agenda.
If it continues to pursue the issue, the Security Council will harm its reputation and diminish its status in the eyes of the world, added Aqazadeh, who also serves as vice president.
Iran has made three achievements in the nuclear issue: it has become a nuclear country, it is cooperating transparently with the IAEA, and Iran’s officials and general public are in consensus over this issue, he stated.
The Mehr News Agency also sought the views of four other MPs and one analyst on ElBaradei’s latest report.
Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee spokesman Kazem Jalali told MNA, “Since the report has been prepared through investigations, negotiations, and (making use of) experts’ opinions, a new round of sanctions should not be issued against Iran.”
In their most recent meeting, the 5+1 group (five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) agreed that no new sanctions should be issued against the Islamic Republic if ElBaradei stated the process of cooperation between Iran and the agency is positive, he added.
Majlis Research Center Director Ahmad Tavakkoli told MNA that despite the fact that ElBaradei’s report proved Iran’s statements on technical issues to be truthful, Iranian officials are not sure if the West will halt its pressure meant to politicize the issue, and therefore the negotiations should be taken very seriously.
The MP urged the government to adopt a strong and clear strategy to prevent the imposition of new sanctions against Iran.
A new round of sanctions would impose financial burdens on the people, and “although the Iranian people are able to withstand pressure, obtaining their rights should not” cost them dearly, he added.
Majlis Energy Committee member Hossein Nejabat said the report vindicates the Islamic Republic’s peaceful nuclear activities.
The most important part of the agency’s report was on the P-1 and P-2 centrifuges, which confirm Tehran’s statements in which it said the centrifuges were produced in Iran using the models of parts received from other countries, Nejabat added.
He went on to say that the agency’s latest report will help efforts to close Iran’s nuclear dossier.
International affairs expert Sabah Zanganeh said, “Considering the positive points in the International Atomic Energy Agency Director General’s recent report, it can prepare the ground for Iran’s nuclear dossier to be removed from the UN Security Council (agenda).”
Of course, just like the previous reports, this report is also double-edged, and thus some UN Security Council members could manipulate it, he added.
