Iran threatens to end nuclear inspections

Iran’s president Mohammad Khatami said today that his country will continue its nuclear development programme even if it meant ending inspections by the UN‘s nuclear agency.

“We’ve made our choice. Yes to peaceful nuclear technology, no to atomic weapons,” Khatami told a military parade in Tehran.

“We will continue along our path even if it leads to an end to international supervision of our nuclear activities,” Khatami said.

The UN watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has demanded that Iran freeze uranium enrichment and answer all questions about its nuclear activities within two months. Failure to do so could lead to the IAEA passing Iran’s nuclear file to the UN Security Council, which could impose sanctions on the country.

The US believes Iran is covertly developing nuclear weapons and has been lobbying for the country to be referred to the Security Council. Iran insists that its nuclear programme is strictly for the generation of electricity.

“They have to explicitly recognise our natural and legal right (to peaceful nuclear energy) to open the way for greater understanding and co-operation,” Khatami said.

“We’ve made our choice. Now it is up to others to make their choice,” he added.

Iranian officials have rebuked the IAEA for demanding that Iran cease enrichment, a process that can produce fuel for both nuclear power stations and nuclear weapons. While critics have said that Iran could import enriched uranium for power stations, Iran insists that it will develop its own fuel supplies.

Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Hasan Rowhani has threatened that if Iran is referred to the UN Security Council, the country will halt unfettered inspections of its nuclear facilities by IAEA officials.

The IAEA sought the right to hold such inspections when it became evident that Iran’s nuclear programme was much more developed than had been thought. Iran agreed to unhindered inspections last year, but its parliament has yet to ratify the additional protocol to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty that authorises them.