Solana – Iran’s honesty should be rewarded
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana yesterday said Iran had been aboveboard over the extent of its nuclear programme and need not be reported to the UN Security Council this week for potential sanctions.
The stance is contrary to the one held by the White House. The US insists Iran has systematically hidden its nuclear technology from public view for decades and believes Tehran intends to have nuclear weapons in the not-too-distant future.
Mr Solana’s intervention came after the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA, criticised Iran for 18 years of “lies” over plans to make fissile material for nuclear weapons.
The IAEA said Iran had maintained a uranium centrifuge enrichment programme for the past 18 years and a laser enrichment programme for the past 12.
Overall, Iran was charged with nine separate “failures” to comply with the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT).
Iran, pre-Saddam Iraq and North Korea occupy US president George W Bush’s “axis of evil.”
Although the UN nuclear watchdog said Iran had yet to comply with the NPT, Mr Solana said Tehran could make good on an agreement with three EU foreign ministers – from the UK, France and Germany – to halt uranium enrichment and open its nuclear facilities to spot checks by inspectors.
The IAEA is due to meet on Thursday to discuss whether Iran has indeed violated the NPT.
