On the one hand, they implicitly acknowledged Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear activities by tempering their rhetoric and said, “International confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program would permit a completely new chapter to be opened in our relations with Iran not only in the nuclear but also more broadly in the political, economic and technological fields.”
On the other hand, they noted that “Iran has so far failed to fulfill its obligations” under UN Security Council resolutions and urged Iran “to take the steps required by the international community, and made mandatory by these resolutions, to suspend all its enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, and allow negotiations to begin.”
The statement issued by the eight industrialized nations indicates that they have not yet understood the new atmosphere surrounding Iran’s nuclear issue.
This new atmosphere has a number of characteristics whose effects have repeatedly manifested themselves in Tehran’s international relations and the statements of relevant officials like ElBaradei.
(A) Iran’s technical situation is very different now, even compared to the time UN Resolution 1747 was issued. Iran has passed the stage of research activities and through the successful launch of nearly 10 centrifuge cascades has entered the industrial phase. This was explicitly admitted by ElBaradei, whose advice to the West to acknowledge Iran’s technological capabilities and its nuclear rights angered White House officials. Since Iran can now launch one 164-centrifuge cascade every week -- according to Western news agencies –- the fact that the G8 has conditioned negotiations on suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment activities indicates that the officials of these countries are out of touch with reality.
(B) Despite the G8’s false concern over Iran’s nuclear program, the IEAE director general’s four-page report demonstrates inspections are continuing and no indication of diversion toward non-peaceful purposes has been found. ElBaradei’s request for the continuation and enhancement of cooperation between Iran and the IEAE to clear up ambiguities is the major reason the Islamic Republic and the agency are still working together. According to Clause C, Article XII of the IAEA Statute, the UN Security Council should enter a “nuclear case” when diversion from peaceful purposes and non-commitment to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is proven, and then the dossier is closed in the IEAE and referred to the Security Council. It is ridiculous that Iran is the only country in history whose dossier has been referred to the Security Council while it is still cooperating with the IEAE.
(C) The third component of the new atmosphere is the transition of international dialogue from the Security Council channel to the negotiating table and compromise with Iran. In the few months between UN Security Council resolutions 1737 and 1747, diplomatic interactions were dormant. However, in recent months, since Resolution 1747 was issued, the European Union has proposed new ideas, and with the successful start of talks between Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on the one hand, and the trilateral Iran-Iraq-United States talks on the other hand, Iran’s diplomatic position significantly improved. We should add to this Iran’s steps toward Islamic convergence; for example, its cooperation with Saudi Arabia and other influential regional countries that can help resolve the Lebanon crisis and its new approach to cooperation with the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
(D) The fourth component is the end of two eras: the end of the era of threatening Iran and the end of the suspension era. There is an international consensus that Iran can not be forcefully deprived of its rights. Mohamed ElBaradei recently said that invading Iran is the idea of “new crazies”, which again angered White House neoconservatives. Joseph S. Nye Jr., a professor of international relations at Harvard University, wrote this week that the options in regard to Iran’s nuclear program are very limited. He said military action against Iran would not halt the program, but rather would add to the U.S. problems in Iraq and in the Islamic world in general. He suggested that harsher UN sanctions would provide the best opportunity to stop or at least slow down the enrichment program.
On the other hand, we still remember that in 2005, in the midst of the negotiations between Iran and the EU3, even Iran’s use of only 20 centrifuges for research was not accepted, but now official and unofficial sources speak of “slowing down” the enrichment program or preventing an enhancement in enrichment capability. Thus, it seems that the G8 statement has demanded suspension of uranium enrichment to save face.
In any case, Iran has proven that it is serious about standing up for its rights. It is ready to negotiate with anyone in any place according to IEAE regulations. Finally, the fact that Iran agreed to enter into negotiations indicates its flexibility and commitment to the rational foundations of diplomacy for reaching an understanding.
PA/HG
END
MNA
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