Iran: Does Anyone Think ANY European Country Will Refer to Security Council?

[Annie]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/iran_nuclear

Iran Lawmakers OK Peaceful Nuclear Power By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer
41 minutes ago



Iranian lawmakers instructed the government Sunday to develop a nuclear fuel cycle, which would include resuming the process of enriching uranium — a prospect that has drawn criticism from the United States and Europe because it could be used in developing atomic weapons.

The vote came as a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry said it was giving Europe a "last chance" in nuclear talks.

Iran suspended enrichment of uranium six months ago under international pressure led by the United States, which accuses Tehran of trying to make nuclear weapons. Iran maintains its program is peaceful and only aimed at generating electricity.

The European Union has threatened to take Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions if it again starts uranium reprocessing. Enriched uranium is useful in the generation of electricity, which is permitted under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but it also can be turned into nuclear weapons.

The bill approved Sunday by 188 of the 205 deputies attending the parliamentary session doesn't force the government to immediately resume uranium enrichment but pressures it not to give up its nuclear program, including uranium enrichment. These are the mullahs

The legislation was viewed as strengthening the government's hand in negotiations with European Union representatives, allowing it to demonstrate domestic pressure to pursue its nuclear program as talks have deadlocked.

"We are entering injury time," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters later in the day.

He said the government will give Europeans a "last chance" in negotiations to avert a nuclear crisis before it resumes uranium reprocessing activities.

"The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is required to pursue, within the framework of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, peaceful use of nuclear energy, including the cycle of nuclear fuel," said the legislation, adopted in a session broadcast live on state-run Tehran radio.

The Guardian Council, a hard-line body vetting legislation, is widely expected to approve the legislation, making it law.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said last week that he would support referring Iran to the U.N. Security Council if it breaches its nuclear obligations.

France, Britain and Germany, acting on behalf of the 25-nation European Union, want Tehran to abandon its enrichment activities in exchange for economic aid, technical support and backing for Iran's efforts to join the World Trade Organization.

Iran suspended uranium-enrichment activities as a gesture of good faith in November. Tehran says it won't give up its right under the treaty to such activities but is prepared to offer guarantees that its nuclear program won't be diverted toward weapons.

Later Sunday, Iran's top nuclear negotiator Hasan Rowhani said Iran would resume its nuclear activities if no agreement is reached.

"We have always preferred to resume work under an agreement but if we don't reach agreement, we will implement our decision and will definitely restart our activities," he told state-run television.

 

[USViking]

The UK is the only EU country I have any faith in. I'm due a pleasant suprise one of these days.

 

[Annie]

The UK is the only EU country I have any faith in. I'm due a pleasant suprise one of these days.

Not to be too skeptical, but I'll bet the US has to do it.

 

[waltky]

Will he allow IAEA inspectors in?...

Rouhani vows transparency on nuclear issue
17 June 2013 > Iran is ready to show more transparency on its nuclear programme, says President-elect Hassan Rouhani.

In his first news conference since Friday's election, Mr Rouhani described as "unfair" sanctions imposed on his country. He also said Tehran would not suspend uranium enrichment activities. The West suspects Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its programme is entirely peaceful. The US and Russia both expressed hope of progress on resolving the issue. Speaking after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G8 summit in Northern Ireland, US President Barack Obama said they had "expressed cautious optimism" that following last Friday's elections "we may be able to move forward on a dialogue that allows us to resolve the problems with Iran's nuclear programme".

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "The government hopes that following Dr Rouhani's election, the Iranian government will take up the opportunity of a new relationship with the international community by making every effort to reach a negotiated settlement on the nuclear issue." At his news conference in Tehran, which covered a wide range of issues, Mr Rouhani also said:

* His government would work towards "constructive interaction with the world", thanking Iranians for "choosing moderation"
* Efforts to end continuing fighting in Syria and restore stability must rest with "the Syrian people"
* The economy would be his main priority
* Relations between Iran and the US were "an old wound that needs to be healed"

The conference ended abruptly when a man in the audience shouted that reformist leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who is currently under house arrest, should be president. Mr Rouhani, a long-standing political figure in Iran, won just more than 50% of the vote in the election, avoiding a run-off vote. Iran's president has limited powers, with key policy decisions being taken by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Key stumbling block

See also:

Rowhani's 'path of moderation' also shows limits
Jun 17,`13 -- Iran's newly elected president showcased his reform-leaning image Monday by promising a "path of moderation" that includes greater openness on Tehran's nuclear program and overtures to Washington. He also made clear where he draws the line: No halt to uranium enrichment and no direct U.S. dialogue without a pledge to stay out of Iranian affairs.

Hasan Rowhani's first post-victory news conference was a study in what may make his presidency tick. Rowhani may be hailed as a force for change, but he also appears to carry a deep and self-protective streak of pragmatism. He knows he can only push his views on outreach and detente as far as allowed by the country's real powers, the ruling clerics and their military protectors, the Revolutionary Guard. Many of Rowhani's statements reflected these boundaries, which could later expand or contract depending on how much the theocracy wants to endorse his agenda.

When he appealed to treat "old wounds" with the U.S., he also echoed the ruling clerics' position that no breakthroughs can occur as long as Washington is seen as trying to undermine their hold on power. Rowhani's urging for greater "nuclear transparency" as a path to roll back sanctions was also punctuated by a hard-liner stance: No chance to stop the uranium enrichment labs at the heart of the stalemate with the West and its allies. Rowhani spoke eloquently about a "new era" on the international stage but avoided direct mention of the sweeping crackdowns at home since the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009.

At the end of the news conference, a spectator - whose identity was not immediately known - yelled out for the release of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has been under house arrest for more than two years. Rowhani smiled but made no comment. "You can make any kind of promises you want," said Merhzad Boroujerdi, director of the Middle East Studies program at Syracuse University. "At the end of the day, it's the ruling clerics that decide whether they go anywhere." There is no doubt, however, that the overall tone of Rowhani's remarks resonates well in the West. The White House and others have already signaled cautious hope that Rowhani's presence could open new possibilities on diplomacy and efforts to break the impasse over Tehran's disputed nuclear program after four failed negotiating rounds since last year.

Even so, the Obama administration won't welcome Rowhani's election with any new nuclear offer. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the U.S. is open to new nuclear talks with Iran. But Washington and its international partners first want a response to an offer of sanctions relief for Iranian nuclear concessions they presented in April. "The ball is in Iran's court," Psaki said Monday in Washington. If nothing else at the Tehran news conference, the contrast was vivid with Ahmadinejad and his hectoring style. "We are on a path of moderation. ... We have to enhance mutual trust between Iran and other countries," Rowhani told journalists. "We have to build trust."

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[Connery]

Moved to proper forum