QUESTION: To put this in a broader perspective, why is it important that Iran not have nuclear weapons?

MR. ERELI: Because we believe that proliferation of nuclear weapons is destabilizing to the region and to the world and that it is in the interest of the international community to control the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. That’s number one. Number two, let’s be clear: Iran has treaty obligations that it is violating and that, in and of itself, should be cause for concern and justification for action that the international community is taking.

QUESTION: How about their missile program and their ties to terrorist groups?

MR. ERELI: Likewise. Longstanding concerns that we have that we are working, I think, tenaciously to address.
Sir.

QUESTION: Well, if this is drawn out and longstanding and ongoing for so long, might Iran face serious consequences if it does not comply?

MR. ERELI: I think if you look at the resolution, it notes that time is running short or it notes the passage of time in dealing with this issue. And, obviously, I think that patience is not limitless. This is the fourth resolution. This is the fourth time that Iran has been called upon to share information, the fourth time Iran has pledged to stop activity but has continued activity. And it is the fourth time that the Board has said it views these issues seriously.

Looking ahead to September, I think, you know, here is an important point to make: Iran wanted the file closed at this meeting. That clearly didn’t happen. And the reason it didn’t happen is because what the Board has asked Iran to do over the last three meetings has gone unanswered. So, looking ahead to the fifth meeting, I think that again we will be looking to Iran for answers, for cooperation, for fulfillment of commitments that it has made.

QUESTION: Can I have a follow-up to that?

MR. ERELI: Mm-hmm.

QUESTION: Well, why wouldn’t they get the impression that patience is limitless because, like you said, this is the fourth resolution and you have been -- every resolution -- I mean the resolution in November was very tough and it said that, you know, any kind of further omissions by Iran or -- I don’t remember the exact language, but, you know, it threatened further Board action. And it doesn’t seem really that there had been any action taken since then, I mean.

-snip-

QUESTION: When you say "play itself out," it’s pretty much just repeating itself. You call in each resolution for them to come clean and then in the next meeting you say, well, they didn’t come clean probably.
Is the reason that you’re not pushing for it to be reported to the Security Council that you haven’t got the support from other IAEA member nations, or is it because you don’t want to provoke a provocation while you’re deeply involved in Iraq?

MR. ERELI: I think it’s -- we are working with the other members of the Board of Governors to craft a broad-based and consensual approach to this issue