Bush warns Iran to comply or else
US President George W Bush yesterday issued a stern warning to Tehran to dismantle its nuclear programme or else, after traces of enriched uranium were found in Iran.
Inspectors yesterday said they found traces of weapons grade uranium, a key ingredient in the construction of weapons of mass destruction, in environmental samples taken at the Kalay-e company, west of Tehran.
Mr Bush said yesterday: “”It is very important for the world to come together to make it very clear to Iran that there will be universal condemnation if they continue with a nuclear weapons program,”
“I’ll tell you, the response was very positive. People understand the danger of the Iranians having a nuclear weapons program.”
The Bush administration has repeatedly pressed Iran, which is situated precariously, alongside pre-war Iraq and North Korea, on the president’s “axis of evil,” to comply with the demands of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, and to affirm the additional non-proliferation protocol, which would grant snap inspections of Iran’s energy making facilities.
The IAEA demands that Iran opens its doors to full nuclear inspections.
Iran has until October 31 to prove it is not covertly developing atomic weapons.
Should the deadline elapse without word from Iran, the UN could introduce sanctions against Tehran.
Mr Bush’s press secretary Scott McClellan said yesterday: “They have an October 31st deadline. And at that point, if they fail to meet what the IAEA laid out, then we believe it should be taken to the Security Council.”
Iran denies developing nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear programme is for the production of domestic electricity. But critics say Iran does not need a nuclear energy supply given its vast oil reserves.
Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said Wednesday. “We have been working very hard to respond to the questions of the IAEA.
“It is not part of our security doctrine to have nuclear weapons because we do not believe it would bring security to Iran but would cause much more insecurity. We believe the whole region should be free from nuclear weapons.”
Iran said the environmental samples were “contaminated” by imported equipment.
President Bush is to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Friday at Camp David. It is thought he will discuss security issues in Iran.
