Iran to UNSC?
Russia and China may be on board
The interminable process of applying some heat to Iran seemed to move forward a bit with Russia’s statement. All of these moves relate merely to “referring” Iran to the UN Security Council. Whether the UNSC would ever do anything is another matter. Russia and China, with strong commercial ties to Iran, have so far been reluctant to take any steps, but their attitudes may be changing.
Major powers dismissed Iran’s call for the European Union to resume talks on Tehran’s nuclear standoff with the West on Tuesday.
With European and U.S. officials scornful of the offer and determined to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council, Russia said Tehran must halt the atomic fuel research it resumed last week in defiance of world powers if it wanted negotiations.
“Talk is cheap,” U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. “What they’re engaged in is stirring up a lot of chaff. They’ve started up their diplomatic fog machine here.”
A senior British official labeled as “vacuous” the Iranian offer in a letter from Javad Vaeedi, deputy head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, to restart talks aimed at allaying fears Tehran is pursuing development of an atomic bomb.
Russia, which has taken a tougher stance against Iran in recent weeks despite strong commercial and diplomatic ties, told Tehran to restore the basis for negotiations by reversing last week’s move.
“Talks presuppose an obligation. The Iranian obligation was to stick to the moratorium,” Lavrov said. “Now Iran (has departed from) the moratorium on scientific research.”
SECURITY COUNCIL LOOMS
Britain, France and Germany called off the talks after Tehran removed U.N. seals on uranium enrichment equipment, deepening Western suspicions that it is seeking nuclear arms. Iran insists it seeks only a peaceful energy programme.
Washington and its EU allies say it is time the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency sent Iran’s case to the U.N. Security Council, which could eventually decide to impose sanctions on Iran.
China has demurred, saying it would like talks between Iran and the EU trio to resume, but has not said it will try to block any move to report Iran to the Council.
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