Iran blocks nuclear inspections

aljazeera
Dec. 17, 2005

Iranian President MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD signed a legislation that would limit UN nuclear inspections if Tehran’s case is sent to the Security Council, the semi-official Fars agency reported on Saturday.

The new legislation obliges the Iranian government to “stop voluntary and non-legally binding measures and implement its scientific, research and executive programmes” if Iran’s nuclear case is referred to the UN Security Council.

The law doesn’t mention specific forms of retaliation, but counter-measures could include a refusal to stick to the additional protocol of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which gives more inspection powers to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

According to Fars, the law was signed on December 13 by the Iranian leader, who ordered the chief of Iran’s atomic energy organization Gholam Reza Aghazadeh to apply it immediately.

Last month, the Iranian parliament passed the bill, which was later ratified by by the powerful Guardians Council that vets all legislation.

The additional NPT was signed by the previous Iranian government but was never ratified by deputies.

Iran nuclear talks with the European is planned for next Wednesday in Vienna, but EU diplomats don’t expect Tehran to bow to international pressure and abandon its NUCLEAR PROGRAM.

The Islamic republic insists that its nuclear program is strictly aimed at the peaceful generation of electricity, but the U.S. and the EU suspect that it is a covert for developing atomic weapons.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has deferred the possible referral of Tehran to the UN Security Council, which can impose sanctions. The delay was to give the Russian government enough time to persuade Iran to accept a compromise that will allow Tehran to carry out less-sensitive nuclear fuel work as long as the more advanced part of the process in done in Russia.

Sanctions over Ahmadinejad’s comments

In a separate development, EU leaders warned on Saturday that Iran could face sanctions over Ahmadinejad’s recent comments about Israel.

The Iranian President provoked Israeli and Western leaders this week when he called the Holocaust a “myth”, and suggested that Europe or North America host an Israeli state, instead of the Middle East. In October, Ahmadinejad called for Israel to be “wiped off the map”.

European leaders said in a statement that Ahmadinejad's comments were the latest "provocative political moves" from Tehran. They warned Iran they would review diplomatic options for possible sanctions against the Islamic republic.

Israel seized the West Bank and Gaza in the 1967 Middle East war in defiance of international law. However, the EU statement reaffirmed Israel's right to exist, noting that "all members of the United Nations have undertaken to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state."

The EU warning came despite a statement by Iran’s Interior Minister that Ahmadinejad’s comments were "misunderstood."

The President "wanted to say that if others harmed the Jewish community and created problems for the Jewish community, they have to pay the price themselves," Mostafa Pourmohammadi told The Associated Press. "People like the Palestinian people or other nations should not pay the price."

"A historical incident has occurred. Correct or not correct. We don't want to launch research or carry out historical investigation about it," he added.