15 May 2007
U.S. Committed to Resolving Iran Nuclear Dispute
International community united after U.N. revelations, Bush spokesman says
Washington -- U.N. inspectors have reported that Iran's nuclear program may be further along than previously thought and White House spokesman Tony Snow says the international community remains united in its commitment to pressure Iran to suspend its nuclear program and resume negotiations.
"There continues to be unity among the allies when it comes to trying to put pressure on the Iranians so they do come to the table, they do, in fact, suspend the program, and they do make possible a whole series of benefits that would be good for the Iranian people,” Snow said May 15.
In a surprise inspection of Iran's main nuclear facility at Natanz May 13, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) discovered that engineers had perfected the technically complex task of running 1,300 centrifuges to convert uranium hexafluoride into nuclear fuel suitable for use in nuclear reactors. The inspection came in advance of a soon-to-be-released IAEA report that is expected to criticize Iran for its continued refusal to put to rest international concerns that it is pursuing a covert nuclear weapons program.
“We believe they pretty much have the knowledge about how to enrich,” IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei said following the inspection. "From now on, it is simply a question of perfecting that knowledge.”
State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said the IAEA’s discovery confirms that Iran remains defiant of U.N. Security Council resolutions demanding that it suspend its uranium enrichment program.
It is clear, he said, that Iran is trying to advance its nuclear capabilities to a point of no return. But he added, “I think it's also clear that Iran continues to be and is increasingly isolated as it moves forward down this negative path.”
He said Iran’s continued defiance “is only proof to us that we need to continue to move forward with our policy, that we need to continue to apply pressure and in fact increase pressure with an additional Security Council resolution.”
The Security Council has passed two Chapter 7 resolutions applying a variety of political and economic sanctions on Tehran. The council will receive the IAEA’s new report on Iran’s nuclear activities May 23, and U.S. officials already indicated that more stringent sanctions may be in order if the report concludes, as expected, that Iran has failed to comply with the council’s demands.(See related article.)
Casey said the sanctions have been useful in sparking debate in Tehran about the wisdom of Iran’s current policies. “I think there is some real debate inside Iran itself over whether an increasingly isolated Iran, an Iran that isn't able to meet some of the basic needs of its people and has opportunities for economic growth and development cut off to it as a result of its defiance, is really an Iran that's proceeding down the right course,” he said.
“Has it changed their point of view? No. Are they still in defiance of the international community? Absolutely,” he said. But he remained confident that diplomatic pressure ultimately will change Iran’s behavior.
Iranian officials have insisted that their goal is to develop industrial-scale production of nuclear fuels for peaceful civilian uses.
The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany have offered Iran a package of diplomatic and economic incentives, if it verifiably will suspend its nuclear enrichment activities and agree to further negotiations. The package includes international assistance in developing a civilian nuclear power program free of the proliferation risk. Tehran has yet to accept the offer.
"Iran continues to isolate itself by its behavior when it comes to the nuclear program," Snow said. "We continue to monitor the situation and we’re working with our allies."
For additional information on U.S. policy, see Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.
(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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