Foreign Office steps up pressure on Iran
The Foreign Office has once again urged Iran to suspend its uranium conversion activity and return to the negotiating table.
It said the international community was “clear and united” in this request, which was reiterated yesterday when the UN adopted a resolution voicing “serious concern” about Tehran’s actions.
Iran this week broke the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) seals at its uranium processing plant in Isafahan, rendering the facility fully operational. This was agreed by the UN nuclear watchdog after surveillance cameras were installed at the plant.
However, the IAEA has warned that more research is necessary to ensure there were “no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran”.
Today Foreign Office minister Ian Pearson said Iran had made a “serious mistake” in resuming part of its nuclear fuel cycle, saying it was “in clear breach of international agreements and IAEA board resolutions”.
Britain, France and Germany have been negotiating with Iran for two years to develop a package of economic incentives in return for Tehran giving up all its nuclear fuel-related activities.
But they have warned that Iran’s resumption of uranium conversion could put all this at risk and could even lead to UN sanctions.
“There is no good reason why it should have done this if its intentions are peaceful and it wants to resolve international concerns,” Mr Pearson said.
He added: “Iran must restore the confidence of the international community and provide the right guarantees that its nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.
“Suspending all uranium conversion activity is an essential part of that process. Only with confidence restored can negotiations continue.
“We still believe there is a non-confrontational way forward and we hope that Iran makes that choice by resuming full suspension of all their nuclear fuel cycle activity, as called for in yesterday’s resolution.”
