Iran: We need time to review UN plan

Iran today said it needed time to review a plan that calls for holding off on imposing sanctions if Tehran halts uranium enrichment.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei proposed the simultaneous time-out plan during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in an effort to end the stand off over between the West and Iran over the Islamic Republic’s disputed nuclear programme.

“Time should be allocated to see if the plan has the capacity to solve the (nuclear) case,” Larijani said during a joint news conference with Russia’s national security adviser, Igor Ivanov. He did not elaborate.

The Security Council last month voted unanimously in favour of imposing limited sanctions on Iran after it ignored demands to halt enrichment.

Iran faces the prospect of additional sanctions unless it stops enrichment, which can produce material usable both as fuel for electricity-generating reactors and for nuclear weapons, by the end of a 60-day period that ends next month.

Though Iran says its nuclear programme is peaceful, the US and its allies believe it is secretly developing atomic weapons.

Ivanov said ElBaradei’s proposal could be “remarkable” and was optimistic that the dispute could be resolved if both sides agreed to it.

“The situation of Iran’s nuclear case is critical. Reducing its intensity is our aim,” Ivanov said. “We are currently discussing to remove obstacles from the way of negotiations. All sides should show flexibility and avoid statements that worsen the situation.”

Iranian state-run radio reported earlier today that Tehran wants Moscow to help mediate the stand off, saying the country was looking to Russia for “new proposals, such as enrichment of uranium on Russian soil.” Iran also expects Russia to “take a close stance with the international community,” the radio said.

The Kremlin proposed last year that Iran move its uranium enrichment work to Russian territory, where it could be better monitored to alleviate the international concerns that Tehran is trying to build atomic bombs in violation of its treaty commitments.

Iranian leaders had said they were interested in the idea, but nothing ever came of it as oil-rich Iran insisted its nuclear project is intended only to produce radioactive fuel for reactors that would generate electricity.

State radio also said Russia pledged to complete the Bushehr nuclear power station on schedule this year. Russia last year agreed to ship fuel to Bushehr by this March and start up the facility in September, with electricity generation to start by November.

As a UN Security Council permanent member, Russia last month forced the body to water down proposed punitive measures that would have imposed curbs on the Bushehr project. But the Kremlin then supported limited sanctions against Iran over its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.

A senior US State Department official warned Iran on Friday against accelerating its atomic programme.

“If Iran takes this step, it is going to confront universal international opposition,” Under secretary of State Nicholas Burns said. “If they think they can get away with 3,000 centrifuges without another Security Council resolution and additional international pressure, then they are very badly mistaken.”

For now, the only known assembled centrifuge operations in Iran consist of two linked chains of 164 machines each and two smaller set ups.