Iran and Israel in 'race to conflict' over nuclear plan
Monday October 26 2009
IRAN'S nuclear ambitions have started a "race to confrontation" with Israel, claims France's foreign minister.
Bernard Kouchner said the world's leading powers must break the deadlock before Israel "reacts" to Iran's military aims. Agreement must be reached with the Islamic state over its nuclear programme to remove the risk of a pre-emptive strike by Israel.
During an official visit to Lebanon's capital, Beirut, the minister said time was running out.
"They [the Israelis] will not tolerate an Iranian bomb," he said. "We know that, all of us.
"So that is an additional risk and that is why we must decrease the tension and solve the problem. Hopefully we are going to stop this race to a confrontation."
Six world powers met Iranian officials in Geneva this month. They want the Islamic republic to obey five United Nations resolutions and stop enriching uranium, a process that could produce the material for a nuclear weapon.
So far, Iran has refused. Its officials agreed to another meeting before the end of this month but failed to set a date.
France, Britain and America have promised to review their policy at the end of this year.
If there is no agreement, they will probably urge the UN to impose more economic sanctions on Iran.
But Mr Kouchner made clear his personal scepticism. He fears that tightening the existing sanctions would impoverish ordinary Iranians, weaken the opposition and fail to influence the regime.
"Certainly, the upper people in the Iranian government will not suffer from sanctions," he said. "But the people of the bazaar and the people on the street, the women and the youngsters, will certainly suffer from that."
Mr Kouchner said the priority was still "dialogue". More sanctions might become necessary "in the coming months", but he would be reluctant to impose them.
Iran has not given a clear answer to a proposal that would allow the renewal of a civilian reactor in Tehran. The idea is that Iran would export about 80pc of its low-enriched uranium to Russia and then France.
Iran first approved the plan in principle, but declined to agree any practicalities and ignored the Friday deadline set by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Negotiation
Tehran now promises a reply on Wednesday. White House officials have said that a rejection of what they called a bona fide offer would signal that Iran had no intention of pursuing a negotiated settlement.
There is a growing view that the government of Mr Ahmadinejad no longer considers the deal "in a favourable light", as Iranian negotiators suggested last week.
Meanwhile, IAEA inspectors visited a previously undeclared nuclear plant outside the holy city of Qom on Saturday. Iran had kept this enrichment facility secret until America, Britain and France disclosed its existence last month.
The three-day inspection of the facility is expected to be one of the most intrusive mounted in Iran, despite Tehran's insistence that the IAEA mission is "routine".
The monitors are expected to demand to see engineering drawings of the plant and to interview scientists, engineers and architects involved with the site. Iran has denied previous requests, but is under greater pressure now after being caught out in an apparent attempt to cover up the existence of the Qom plant. (© Daily Telegraph, London)
- David Blair in Beirut
Irish Independent
