Will Iran comply? UN powers agree on Iran warning

Britain, France and Germany have reached an agreement with the United States
on a UN resolution to warn Iran over its nuclear programme.
Washington earlier an rejected draft, insisting that Tehran should be given
a tough warning over past failures to declare all its nuclear activities.

Diplomats say a compromise was agreed after five days of talks.

It is due to be discussed by governors of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday.


A Western diplomat in Vienna, where the IAEA is based, told the BBC that the
new resolution should be acceptable to all the board's 35 members.

The members had been trying to reach agreement on how to respond to 18 years
of failure by Iran to disclose key aspects of its nuclear programme.

According to a recent IAEA report, these included secretly enriching uranium
and producing plutonium.

The United States accuses Iran of trying to secretly to develop nuclear
weapons - an accusation denied by Tehran.

'Trigger'

The US had insisted that the resolution should contain a threat of Security
Council action against Iran.

 However Britain, Germany and France had been concerned that a direct threat
might alienate Iran, which has should increased co-operation with the IAEA
in recent weeks.

The compromise resolution is thought to include a "trigger mechanism" that
refers indirectly to possible Security Council action in the future.

"Should any further serious Iranian failures come to light, the board of
governors would meet immediately to consider in light of the
circumstances... all options at its disposal," the Associated Press news
Agency quotes the resolution as saying.

The phrasing is weaker than the original demands of the United States.

Denial

However the new draft is stronger than the text put forward by France,
Germany and Britain last week.

This called on Iran to continue its commitment to open its nuclear
facilities to strict IAEA scrutiny - a wording rejected by Washington.

Earlier, Iran said it would not tolerate any direct mention of Security
Council action.

The Iranians say their nuclear programme is designed to meet the country's
energy needs only.

Although the IAEA censures Tehran for breaching nuclear safeguards for
almost two decades, it also said there was no evidence of an Iranian nuclear
weapons programme.


Refer:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3235198.stm


Tilly
--
[EMAIL PROTECTED]