US Turns Iran Screw, Wants India to Join

The Indian Express:

Asserting that seeking UN sanctions against Iran was a “reasonable option,” US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice today asked India, China and Russia to send a unified message to Tehran that it has to adhere to its international obligations on the nuclear issue.

‘‘Now we need leadership on this. The EU-3 (UK, France and Germany) led on this issue. The United States supported the EU-3 on this issue. But Iran needs to get a message from the international community that it is a unified message, and by this I mean not just the EU and the United States but also Russia, China and India,’’ Rice told reporters here ahead of her trip to the UN General Assembly in New York.

Rice’s remarks come amid reports that the EU is ready to call for Iran to be brought before the UN Security Council as a “clear signal of concern” over Tehran’s nuclear activities, according to a confidential document obtained by AFP today.

The document confirms the position of EU-3, faced with Iran’s continuing nuclear fuel work that could be related to developing atomic weapons, as alleged by the US.

The Secretary of State was answering questions on whether EU’s talks with Iran have run their course and on the possibility of referring Iran’s nuclear programme to the UN Security Council.

‘‘The question whether the negotiations have run their course is really one that should be put to the Iranians. The Iranians are the ones who voluntarily entered into these negotiations with the EU because there were concerns in the IAEA about their nuclear activities,” she said.

‘‘The European 3, I think, have negotiated in good faith, they have worked very hard on it, and what they have got is an Iran that that walked out of the agreement and started enriching uranium,’’ she said.

The EU trio ‘‘believe that the issue should be resolved diplomatically but are convinced that this will only be possible by the broader international community sending Tehran a clear signal of concern and appealing to it to return to the negotiating table,” said the “speaking notes” document given to IAEA diplomats this week, according to a diplomat who did not want to be named.

“This is highly official. This is the line being presented all over the globe,” a senior EU diplomat said.

The notes said that “by resuming suspended fuel cycle activity, iran is challenging the authority of the IAEA and raising further doubts about her programmes." READ MORE