 VIENNA - The United States and the European Union will hold off taking Iran before the UN Security Council over its nuclear program until they get Russia to back them and may even allow Teheran to do some nuclear fuel work, diplomats told AFP. âIf the Russians donât come around, there could not be referral in November,â a European diplomat said, referring to a November 24 meeting of the Vienna-based UN watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which could send Iran to the Security Council.
| Gee, odds on that prediction are running about 6-5 on the Vegas board ... |
âThe next month is all about Russia handling,â a Western diplomat said about efforts to win Moscowâs support.
Diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
| And because if the reporters didn't promise anonymity, there wouldn't be a story to write. |
Russia reiterated its support Monday for Iranâs nuclear program, which Tehran says is a peaceful effort to generate electricity, and said all questions about it should be handled by the IAEA. âThis way we can find a decision acceptable by all sides that, on the one hand, allows Iran its lawful right to a peaceful nuclear energy program and, on the other hand, does not allow any doubts about the peaceful character of this activity,â Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks in Moscow with his Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki.
âA compromise would involve Iran keeping some conversion capability eventually,â the Western diplomat said. But the diplomat said Iran would still have to halt this work in order for talks with the EU-3 to resume and would not be allowed to do actual enrichment. âThe idea is to sweeten the EU3 offer as Russia is trying to do everything to keep some conversion for Iran,â the diplomat said.
| Russia and Iran are playing good-cop, bad-cop on the EU. And it's working. |
Another diplomat said Russia was proposing to supply Iran with natural uranium and take back the UF6 gas made through conversion and for there possibly to be a joint venture in Russia with Iran for further processing of nuclear fuel.
The diplomat said the West wanted diplomacy with Iran to effectively âbe an EU3-Russia-US effort from now on.â âBut if Iran resumes uranium enrichment, Russia will not stop them going to the council,â the diplomat said.
| Sure, you can always trust the Russians. |
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