Unified stand on atomic Iran

The Age:

THE five major nuclear powers are working on a joint statement that aims to show unusual unified resolve and put fresh pressure on Iran not to resume nuclear fuel research, United States officials and diplomats said on Friday.

Iran, making a confrontation increasingly likely, has defied the international community with its threat to resume atomic fuel research and development on tomorrow, after shelving it more than a year ago at the West's insistence.

In an effort to put new pressure on Iran, the US, Britain, France, Russia and China were working on a statement opposing the Iranian move and urging that Tehran return to negotiations on a compromise proposal.

Although the statement is not expected to contain specific threats, such as bringing Iran to the UN Security Council where sanctions could be imposed, officials said it could have a significant political impact. READ MORE

"It's another ratchet upward in terms of diplomatic pressure" because it is the first co-ordinated initiative on Iran by the five nuclear weapons states and would "show unity and cohesion among the P5, which has not always been there", said one US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

P5 refers to the fact that the five nuclear powers are also the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

The aim was to issue the statement over the weekend, but there was still some debate, officials said. China was resisting joint action and wanted each of the five nuclear powers to issue separate statements.

But one diplomat was optimistic that problems could be overcome, saying: "There is a sense that it will not necessarily be the toughest demarche, but there is a consensus."

Russia, which is building Iran's nuclear plant at Bushehr, and China have been the most reluctant of the five to accept that Iran's nuclear activities are a serious concern.

Iran says it needs nuclear technology to generate electricity and denies Western accusations it wants to build nuclear weapons. International Atomic Energy Agency inquiries have unearthed no clear proof of weapons activity, but Iran has acknowledged pursuing covert energy-related nuclear programs for 18 years.

Russian and Iranian officials are also to meet in Tehran this weekend and diplomats say the talks could have a major impact on whether Moscow backs stronger future action.