Global Powers Agree to Turn Screw

Richard Beeston, The Times:

Britain, France and Germany announced yesterday that they would seek an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency early next month to have Iran referred to the United Nations Security Council, where Tehran could face sanctions for its controversial nuclear programme.

After a day of talks in London with diplomats from America, Russia and China, the three European powers signalled that the meeting on February 2-3 would mark the end of years of mediation with Tehran. All six nations agreed that Iran must suspend its nuclear programme.

The move means that the spotlight will now fall on the 35 member states of the IAEA, the nuclear watchdog. British diplomats said that they were confident that a simple majority of members would support the referral and were pressing for a large majority, just short of a unanimous vote.

Diplomats said that European officials were already working on the text of a brief IAEA resolution, triggered by Iran’s decision last week to resume work on uranium enrichment, a key stage in mastering the technology required to build an atomic bomb. One diplomat said: “We have begun drafting a resolution. It’s short. It calls for (IAEA chief Mohamed) ElBaradei to report Iran to the UN Security Council.”

The big diplomatic hurdle facing the West is to persuade Russia and China, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, to back the move. Javier Solana, the foreign policy chief of the EU, said that he was confident Moscow and Beijing were on board.

Certainly Russia appeared to throw its support behind the West, when President Putin promised to co-operate. “As for Russia, and Germany, and our European partners and the United States — we have very close positions on the Iranian problem,” Mr Putin said after a meeting with Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor.

“We need to move very carefully in this area. I personally do not allow myself a single careless announcement and do not allow the Foreign Ministry to make a single uncertain step,” he said.

British diplomats said that they were encouraged by his comments, but said that the situation was still very fluid.

Maintaining the international consensus necessary to isolate Iran is proving difficult and time-consuming. America has for years wanted Iran’s case sent to the UN Security Council, which has the power to impose punitive sanctions on Tehran. Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, said that the time had come to “demonstrate to Iran that it can’t with impunity cast aside the just demands of the international community”.

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, said that the very act of moving the issue to the UN would be enough to make Iran back down without the need to consider sanctions.

He said: “I don’t think we should rush our fences here. There are plenty of examples where a matter is referred to the Security Council and the Security Council takes action and that action is followed without sanction.”

Russia, which has a $1 billion (£560 million) contract to build Iran’s nuclear reactor as well as lucrative arms deals with Tehran, has been more reluctant to act against its trading partner but now appears willing to work with the West.

Its position is regarded as crucial in determining whether the international community can act in unison. A positive vote by Russia in the IAEA would be important in bringing other wavering states on board. Once the matter reaches the UN Security Council, Russia’s position could again be pivotal. China, which relies heavily on Iran for its energy needs, is cautious about embarking on any measures that could damage its economy. But it rarely challenges a united position by the other permanent members.

Iran appeared to make a conciliatory gesture last night when its Ambassador to Russia praised a proposal to move the uranium enrichment program to Russia. READ MORE