Iran remains defiant over nuclear programme

Suspending uranium enrichment was “not on our agenda”, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman insisted today as he declared UN Security Council intervention would be “completely illegal”.

Hamid Reza Asefi also said Iran’s antagonists over its nuclear programme were driven by ”political motivations”.

He added: “Countries sponsoring the draft resolution (Britain, France and the US) have political motivations.

“It’s clear that any action by the UN Security Council will leave a negative impact on our cooperation with the IAEA.”

He was referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, which Iran already has barred from making routine and snap inspections as the dispute over the program has escalated.

“Intervention by the UN Security Council would change the path of cooperation to confrontation. We recommend they do not do this,” Asefi said.

The US, Britain and France have expressed concern Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons under cover of its enrichment programme and are trying to craft a UN resolution that would involve some measure of punishment should Iran fail to cease processing uranium.

Russia and China, the other two veto-holding council members, have refused to agree to a draft resolution, calling for further diplomacy.

Iran insists the programme is designed only to make fuel for reactors to generate electricity.

“The UN Security Council should not take any action that it cannot later undo. We won’t give up our rights and the issue of suspension (of enrichment) is not on our agenda,” Asefi said at his weekly briefing.

At the UN, Britain, France and the US were trying to bridge differences with Russia and China on a resolution that could eventually lead to sanctions against Tehran.

The US said it wants a vote in the coming week, with or without support from Moscow and Beijing.

After an informal two-hour meeting on Saturday at Britain’s UN Mission, council members said they made some progress in a paragraph-by-paragraph discussion of the draft resolution.

But Britain’s UN Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said the most contentious issues were not discussed in detail, which leaves a major question mark over prospects for the resolution’s speedy adoption.

“We are still working to achieve unanimity … but we’re prepared to go to a vote without it,” US Ambassador John Bolton said. “We’re not prepared to extend these negotiations endlessly … I think it’s realistic to consider this for a vote next week.”

The resolution, co-sponsored by Britain and France and backed by the US, would make mandatory the previous Security Council demands that Iran suspend uranium enrichment, plutonium reprocessing, and construction of a heavy-water nuclear reactor.

The draft states that the “proliferation risk” posed by Iran constitutes a threat to international peace and security, and the resolution would be adopted under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which can be enforced by sanctions – or if necessary – military action.

Russia and China, both permanent council members with veto power, and some non-permanent members object to putting the resolution under Chapter 7.

They contend that there is no evidence that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons – as the US and its allies believe – and they object to the call for possible “further measures” to ensure Tehran’s compliance.

Iran has said it wants the issue turned back over to the IAEA for further negotiations.

But the agency has referred the Iranian program to the council, making it unlikely in the short term that some sort of action in the Security Council will move forward.

Iran says it has the right to enrich uranium under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, monitored by the IAEA.

Iran’s council opponents on the issue say that right was given up when the IAEA determined in 2002 that Iran had conducted secret nuclear research and development for decades.