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IAEA demands Iran freeze uranium enrichment

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Vienna, Sept 18, IRNA -- The International Atomic Energy Agency`s 
Board of Governors adopted a resolution Saturday demanding Iran freeze
all activities related to uranium enrichment. 
According to the IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming, the resolution 
was passed without a vote, by consensus. 
The resolution was drafted by Britain, France and Germany Friday, 
setting a November 25 deadline for a full review of Iran`s nuclear 
program and calling on Tehran to `immediately` suspend all uranium 
enrichment activities. 
The non-aligned nations had challenged the draft resolution for 
taking Iran to task for uranium enrichment, which is allowed under the
nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT). 
On Friday, the Europeans opposed Washington`s demand to set an 
October 31 ultimatum for Tehran to fully suspend uranium enrichment 
and consequently for automatic referral of Iran to the UN Security 
Council for possible sanctions. 
Earlier in the day, Iran`s chief delegate to the IAEA meeting 
repudiated the draft resolution proposed by Britain, France and 
Germany about Tehran`s nuclear program, saying it smacks more of 
politics. 
Hossein Mousavian stated that the resolution has ignored IAEA 
chief Mohamed ElBaradei`s report about Tehran`s `cooperation and good 
will`. 
"Iran considers (the resolution) as totally political and the 
Europeans` behavior as illogical," he told IRNA on the sidelines of 
the IAEA board of governors` meeting held in Vienna. 
Mousavian, however, welcomed the resolution for `barring the 
Americans from referring Iran`s file to the UN Security Council` for 
possible sanctions. 
"In every meeting, the resolutions become more positive compared 
with the previous ones; this indicates a progress and proves Iran`s 
claims as being true and American claims as being false. 
"At the current meeting, the Americans were after setting an 
ultimatum and implementing the `trigger` mechanism for automatic 
referral of Iran`s nuclear file to the Security Council. 
"But both of the country`s demands were aborted thanks to the 
Europeans` resistance," Mousavian said. 
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is not satisfied with the 
Europeans` resolution, but it is satisfied with the fact that the 
Europeans resisted US demands," he added. 
This resistance accorded Iran and the IAEA enough time to prove 
Iran as being right and US as lying, according to the official. 
Asked about the call for immediate freeze of uranium enrichment, 
Mousavian said, "State authorities will make a decision within this 
week (or the next week) on full suspension of uranium enrichment and 
announce the outcome accordingly." 
The official, however, stressed that Tehran will continue to 
cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency since `the 
`country has so far benefitted from such cooperation`. 
"Iran has seen no harm in cooperating with the agency; thus, it 
will continue its cooperation so that the remaining technical issues 
can be resolved in the next one or two months," he added. 
In a decision to prove its good faith, Tehran has voluntarily 
suspended uranium enrichment and manufacture of centrifuge components.
Moreover, the Islamic Republic has signed an additional protocol 
to the NPT, allowing snap inspections of its nuclear activities. 
Iran says its nuclear program is aimed at power generation, 
rejecting US accusations that the program is a cover to build an 
atomic bomb. 
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