The UN nuclear watchdog meets on Monday in Vienna with Iran virtually safe from possible UN sanctions after agreeing to a full freeze of all nuclear enrichment activities that could make uranium for atomic weapons. The Iranian government sent a letter Sunday to the watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) withdrawing its demand to exempt 20 centrifuges from a freeze of its uranium enrichment activities, Iranian nuclear negotiator Hossein Moussavian told AFP. Hardliners in Iran had said the exemption should be maintained for research purposes but Moussavian said: "I confirm... that Iran will permit the IAEA to place these components, 20 centrifuges, under agency surveillance." ... "Iran will not conduct any testing (of the centrifuges)," Moussavian said.
EU negotiators Britain, France and Germany had given Iran until late Sunday to agree to a full freeze, based on an enrichment suspension the four countries had agreed to in Paris on November 7 and which began November 22. If Iran did not finally comply, the European trio were ready to propose a tough resolution at an IAEA meeting, which was supposed to end after two days on Friday but was adjourned until Monday due to the deadlock, diplomats said. With Iran agreeing to a full suspension, the European trio submitted Sunday a relatively soft draft resolution on Iran's nuclear program, diplomats said. The text is expected to be adopted by consensus by the spineless IAEA on Monday.
The United States wants the IAEA to send Iran before the UN Security Council, which could impose sanctions, for what it says is a covert nuclear weapons program but this is unlikely now that Iran has agreed to a full suspension and accepts the European resolution, diplomats said. US officials said Washington was ready to back the latest European proposal as long as Iran fully suspended uranium enrichment. |