UN meeting over Iran nuclear crisis

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council met for the first time yesterday to discuss a response to the Iran nuclear crisis after its nuclear watchdog agency handed over the issue of the disputed programme.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested earlier in the day that his country would oppose sanctions against Iran.

As a veto-wielding permanent member of the council, Russia’s opposition could make it difficult for the United States and others that want tough measures against Iran.

Mr Lavrov said: “I don’t think sanctions as a means to solve a crisis have ever achieved a goal in the recent history, so…we must rely on the professional advice of the IAEA, the watchdog of the nonproliferation regime.”

In Vienna, the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) wrapped up a meeting on Iran’s nuclear programme, formally opening the path to Security Council action.

Soon after, IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei sent a report on Iran’s status to the council.

The five permanent members of the council – Britain, China, France, Russia and the US – then gathered for quick consultations.

They generally agree that the next step will be a non-binding presidential statement addressing Iran’s nuclear programme. They also agree that any steps should be gradual, but beyond that are divided about what to include in the statement, council diplomats said.

One council diplomat said Britain had proposed that Mr ElBaradei report back in two weeks about Iran’s progress towards compliance with IAEA resolutions.

Britain’s UN Ambassador Emyr Jones-Parry didn't say much as he entered and left the meeting.

“We are at a very tentative stage,” Mr Jones-Parry said. ”This is an incremental approach. We’ll do it on that basis.”

Council diplomats said the US will probably seek some mention in the statement of Iran’s non-compliance with International Atomic Energy Agency resolutions. Britain and France are likely to support that.

US Ambassador John Bolton said of the meeting: “We talked about the role and reaction of the Security Council to the continued Iranian violation of the Nonproliferation Treaty.

“Now that it’s here, we’ll proceed in a careful and deliberate fashion.”

France’s UN Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said: ”We will follow a gradual aproach…because we want Iran to go back to suspension, so the action will be gradual and reversible if Iran goes back to suspension.”

Resistance to a tough stance will almost certainly come from Russia and China.

Russia’s Ambassador Andrey Denisov said the British proposal of Mr ElBaradei coming back in two weeks with a new report on Iran’s compliance did not give Tehran enough time.

Mr Lavrov, when speaking to the press earlier, made clear that Russia does not want the UN Security Council heavily involved in the Iran issue.

He suggested that the council must not take the lead because of Iran’s veiled threats that if the council takes tough action, it might abandon the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and expel IAEA inspectors.

“We should all strive for a solution that would not endanger the ability of the IAEA to continue its work in Iran, while of course making sure that there is no danger for the non-proliferation regime,” said Mr Lavrov, who had met with UN secretary-general Kofi Annan shortly before.

Mr Lavrov also ruled out military action against Iran, saying Russia was “convinced that there is no military solution to this crisis”.

The Russian minister refused to comment on US Vice President Dick Cheney’s warning of “meaningful consequences” if Iran does not back away from an international confrontation over its nuclear programme, but his comment was at least a partial rebuttal.

Mr Cheney did not specify what the US would do but said it “is keeping all options on the table”.