IAEA board drops Iran sanctions resolution: diplomats
VIENNA (AFP) — A push by Western nations for a resolution against Iran at a UN atomic watchdog meeting has been dropped amid objections from Russia, China and developing countries, diplomats said Tuesday.
Just a day after the UN Security Council slapped a third set of sanctions on Iran, European countries drafted a resolution which they wanted to put to the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors here.
But the text was finally ditched after its opponents -- notably the Russians, the Chinese and the so-called Non-Aligned Movement -- argued it was superfluous following the UN Security Council decision.
"It wasn't only the Russians and the Chinese. More than that, the decision in New York speaks for itself," one Western diplomat said.
Furthermore, it could prove counter-productive and lead Iran to reduce cooperation with the IAEA, other diplomats said.
Cuban Ambassador Norma Goicochea Estenoz told reporters that the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), a bloc of nations of which she is chair, was opposed to such a resolution.
"We don't think that there is any need for a draft resolution. In our opinion, it would damage the environment of cooperation and confidence-building between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the agency," she said.
The idea of a separate IAEA resolution had been to turn up the pressure on Iran to clear up allegations of alleged nuclear weapons work just a day after the UN Security Council slapped the third set of sanctions on Tehran for its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment.
Western diplomats felt recent intelligence suggesting Tehran is involved in nuclear weapons work would have sufficiently raised concern within the IAEA to ensure the passage of such a resolution at the agency's board meeting.
Last week, the IAEA board was shown intelligence from a number of independent sources that suggested Tehran is involved in a uranium conversion project, high explosives tests and a missile re-entry vehicle modified to accommodate what could be a nuclear warhead.
The information also suggested Iran continued nuclear weapons work beyond the 2003 date cited in a recent US intelligence report.
Estenoz, however, said that non-aligned countries had not been consulted about any resolution.
For the NAM, it was more important "to give more support to the IAEA's Director General (Mohammed ElBaradei) and to Iran in the implementation of the work plan," the ambassador said.
"We are really committed to that endeavour and we do believe that this period of cooperation and confidence building ... has to prevail."
On Monday, the UN Security Council slapped a third set of economic and trade sanctions on Iran.
The UN resolution gives Iran three months to comply with UN and IAEA demands to suspend uranium enrichment and reprocessing to help restore international confidence in the peaceful nature of its nuclear program or face new sanctions.
It includes an outright ban on travel by officials involved in Tehran's nuclear and missile programs, and broadens a list of individuals and entities subject to an assets freeze.
Western countries say Iran's uranium enrichment activities are aimed at developing nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists it is only interested in energy production.
The IAEA board was scheduled to discuss a number of other items on the second day of its regular March meeting, including North Korea's stalled disarmament process.
