Iran vows to end co-operation

2006-01-13 10:28

Tehran - Iran on Friday threatened to end co-operation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog over its nuclear programme if the issue was referred to the UN Security Council.

Iran's foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki said: "If the dossier is sent to the security council, the European countries will lose the means, which are at their disposal, because... the government will be obliged, in conformity with the law adopted by parliament, to end all its voluntary measures of co-operation."

Iran's standoff with the international community had escalated after Tehran resumed sensitive nuclear work, but possible sanctions had been ruled out at least for the moment.

Europe's three major powers responded to Iran's move to reactivate uranium enrichment research by asking for an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), while UN chief Kofi Annan said Iran was still keen on pursuing nuclear talks with European powers.

In December, Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad signed off on legislation that could limit UN inspections at Iran's nuclear sites if its case was taken to the security council.

The law obliged the government to "stop voluntary and non-legally binding measures and implement its scientific, research and executive programmes" if the security council got involved.

'Deliberate escalation'

According to reports, Ahmadinejad had ordered Iran's Atomic Energy Agency to be prepared to apply the law.

The law didn't refer to specific forms of retaliation, but counter-measures could include refusing to adhere to the additional protocol of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which gave increased inspection powers to the IAEA.

The additional protocol was signed by the previous reformist government, but was never ratified by MPs in the conservative-run parliament.

Compliance with the additional protocol was seen as being crucial to an IAEA probe into allegations that Iran was using an atomic energy drive as a cover for weapons development.

In Washington, US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice accused Tehran of a "deliberate escalation" of the dispute, and said it was in "dangerous defiance of the entire international community".

Mottaki urged the Europeans to deal with Iran's nuclear activities with "discretion, patience and a rational attitude".

He said: "We advise the Europeans to separate the question of research from producing the nuclear fuel and do not propagate around the nuclear research activities, which had been unjustly suspended.

"If they want to discuss making nuclear fuel we are ready to follow up with the negotiations with the EU-3."

If the negotiations were broken off by the Europeans "Iran will only be in contact with the IAEA to maintain its legitimate and natural rights".

- AFP