Iran losing allies in Europe, says report

Khaleej Times Online:

Iran's new government has adopted a high-risk policy: pursuing its controversial nuclear programme at the price of losing its European allies.

The latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran's nuclear programme is scheduled to be presented to the 35- member IAEA board on September 3.

Although the report is expected to acquit Iran of any military misuse of its nuclear projects, it will at the same time contain Tehran's rejection of last month's IAEA resolution, which had called on the government to stop its uranium conversion programme in the Isfahan plant in central Iran.

The rejection could bring the Islamic state into a delicate situation: not only could the Iran case be referred to the United Nations Security Council but Teheran would also lose its main allies in the Western world, i.e. the European Union trio of Britain, France and Germany. READ MORE

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his new team however stress that as a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the IAEA additional protocol, Iran is entitled to have a civil atomic programme, for which the main negotiation partner is the IAEA and not the EU trio.

The Iranians know well that the issue is not only a technical but also a political one and the EU trio tried to prepare Iran ... to clear the past and start a new beginning in international society, a European diplomat in Teheran said.

The past includes political blunders such as the occupation of the United States embassy in 1979, taking US diplomats hostage for 444 days, as well as the assassination of Kurdish dissidents on European soil and human rights violations at home.

Not taking the chance at reintegrating Iran into the international community would leave Iran's global image as the one the Americans have created of the country, the diplomat added.

Washington has long been at odds with Teheran, accusing it of sponsoring international terrorism and of attempting to acquire nuclear weapons in order to eliminate arch-foe Israel.

Iran's newly-appointed chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, as yet inexperienced in sophisticated diplomatic discussions, sees no need to rely on the EU trio only and, in line with Ahmadinejad, wants other states such China, Russia and South Africa as alternative negotiating partners to the EU big three.

However, many observers see the continuing Iranian emphasis on nuclear negotiations, regardless with whom, as meaningless at the current stage. With the US, the EU trio and the IAEA board decisively demanding from Iran a stop to any nuclear activity and with Teheran flatly rejecting them, no space is given for any compromise.