Start of a New Nuclear Crisis

Iranian blogger, Maryam Kashani, Roozonline:

In the last days of Khatami's administration Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Hassan Rohani submitted a report revealing much of the activities of the thirty month negotiations between the West and Iran over its nuclear program. The publication of this report is the first time the Iranian public has been privy to such sensitive national security matters. It coincides with the beginning of another round of nuclear crisis accompanied by threats from British and U.S. foreign policy architects foreshadowing perilous days ahead. READ MORE

According to the Paris agreement, European negotiators England, France and Germany were to submit their proposal for continued talks regarding Iran's nuclear program by July 31st. Last Saturday they announced this proposal would be delayed by a week and requested that talks on nuclear fuel be postponed for subsequent rounds due to be held in Paris and New York in upcoming weeks.

Iran's national security spokesman announced that the European request for a delay had been denied because it suggested "they do not intend on entertaining Iran's right to uranium enrichment and are merely postponing discussions to later rounds which hold no guarantees for success." On Sunday Iran announced it would resume its uranium processing in Isfahan but would not engage in uranium enrichment until talks with the EU resume.

In response to news that the EU was delaying submitting plans until Ahmadenijad's administration came into office on August 3rd, an Iranian spokesman stated "our nuclear program is a national policy that does not change from one administration to the other."

Mr. Rohani's report begins by recapping Western governments' opposition to Iran's nuclear ambitions during the Shah's regime and the current government. It goes on to outline the Islamic Republic's efforts to gain access to enough technology such that the "West's dealings with Iran would be balanced and fair." However international spies and agents of the Mojahhedin Kharj Organization leaked information regarding Iran's efforts, seriously jeopardizing the nation's political and economic security.

Iran then determined a five phase program, the first and most difficult being heading off the nuclear crisis and any possibility of military action.

The next four phases include "readiness to resist threats while maintaining uranium processing capabilities." Other countries such as Russia and China were not willing to stand beside Iran so it was forced to enter negotiations with the only remaining option, namely the EU.

News reports indicate that since Rohani's report and Ahmadinejad's election the EU is changing its strategy regarding Iran's nuclear program by addressing the new administration in its negotiations. The conservative daily Keyhan quotes an American analyst, "the U.S. is in a quagmire in Iraq and incapable of challenging Iran" and Europe is forced to take a moderate stance on Iran's nuclear program.

Britain was the first to respond to Iran’s threat of resuming its nuclear activities. It’s foreign minister announced that Europe would submit the European report to Iran next week, while questioning the need and prudence of resuming enrichment activities in Isfahan. US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has been more outright in her approach and has said that Europe and the US are following the same unified strategy and that there is no escape route for Iran.

With Khatami's outgoing administration and installation of a new government another chapter in the nuclear crisis begins with new faces on the scene whose policies and goals remain unclear.