On Saturday, the Financial Times of London said that European diplomats feared EU3 negotiations with Iran on Iran's nuclear program might break down next week.[1] -- FT reported that "Mohammad Khatami, Iran's outgoing president, said this week that Iran would 'definitely' resume work at this Isfahan plant regardless of what France, Germany, and the UK, which are leading the EU effort, put on the table." -- A later Reuters report described a tense diplomatic situation: while denying any intention to resume uranium enrichment, Iranian negotiators demanded that the EU3 negotiators submit proposals by 5:00 p.m. London time, claiming that agreement had been reached in May that on this deadline.[2] -- But EU3 negotiators denied that such a firm deadline had been set. -- They are asking for an additional week. -- Iran has refused this request. -- "If the EU did not submit its proposals the 'only activity we will resume is to lift part of the uranium conversion facility at Isfahan and it will be only limited activities,' [Ali Aghamohammadi, a spokesman for the Supreme National Security Council] said," according to Reuters. -- The Tehran Times, often characterized as a "semi-official" news source, reported Sunday that the Iran was demanding not only that the proposal from the EU3 be submitted before Aug. 1, but that if it did not include uranium enrichment it would be considered by Iran to be in breach of a previous agreement, and Iran "would then do whatever it deemed necessary to protect its national rights."[3] -- The Times of India reported on Friday on President Khatami of Iran's Jul. 27 statement that the decision had already been made that "we're going to resume the activities at Isfahan" regardless of the contents of the EU proposal.[4] -- President Khatami's statement brought an immediate rebuke from the White House, as press secretary Scott McClellan said (Jul. 28): "Iran made some commitments to suspend their uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities. We expect them to abide by that commitment. If Iran is going to violate their agreements, then we would obviously be looking at discussing with (the) Europeans, who have also committed to doing so, looking at going to the (United Nations) Security Council."[5] -- In an additional development, on Jul. 27 Ali Shamkhani, Iran's defense minister, told AP that Iran "has fully developed solid-fuel technology in producing missiles." -- Iran was once entirely dependent on the U.S. for its militeral matériel, and its military weakness in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution was a key factor in the outbreak of the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. -- Now, AP noted, Iran is now substantially independent of the United States; "[s]ince 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles, and a fighter plane."[6] -- Complicating the drama of the moment is the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad will be sworn in as Iran's new president on Thursday, Aug. 3. -- As usual in the mainstream media as it gins up public opinion for the impending Iranian crisis and, perhaps, an attack on Iran by the U.S. or Israel, certain facts are never mentioned in these breathless reports -- among them, that Iran has the right, under present international treaties, to enrich uranium; that the U.S. turned a blind eye while Israel developed nuclear weapons in the 1950s and 1960s and still feigns ignorance of them; and that the United States enriches uranium on a routine basis, and has even set up a private corporation to do so....
1.
World
Middle East & Africa
EU DIPLOMATS FEAR COLLAPSE OF NUCLEAR TALKS WITH IRAN
By Daniel Dombey (Brussels), Gareth Smyth (Tehran), and Guy Dinmore (Washington)
Financial Times (UK)
July 30, 2005
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/0fe13944-0097-11da-b57e-00000e2511c8.html
Iran could bring negotiations with the European Union to a sudden end by resuming parts of its nuclear program as soon as next week, European diplomats have warned.
EU officials are working on the final details of an offer to assist Tehran in the nuclear, economic, and diplomatic fields, as long as it turns its back on technologies that could be used for nuclear weapons. But recent Iranian statements have stoked European fears that Tehran could be about to resume activity at its uranium conversion plant, with a preliminary role in the nuclear fuel cycle.
Mohammad Khatami, Iran's outgoing president, said this week that Iran would "definitely" resume work at this Isfahan plant regardless of what France, Germany, and the UK, which are leading the EU effort, put on the table.
"Such a step would be a breach of the Paris agreement [underpinning the talks] but until any action is taken, there will be no further comment," said a British spokeswoman.
In such circumstances the EU would not put forward its offer, which it plans to make soon after Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, a conservative fundamentalist, is inaugurated as the new president on Thursday.
However, Iran recently set Monday as a deadline for the EU proposals. Buoyed by Mr. Ahmadi-Nejad's landslide election victory, opponents of Iran's freeze of uranium enrichment have also noted the U.S.'s recent agreement to supply nuclear technology to India, which developed nuclear weapons outside the Nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
There is widespread expectation that Ali Larijani, former head of state broadcasting, will take over as Iran's leading nuclear negotiator. Mr. Larijani once said Iran would exchange "a pearl for a candy" if it gave up its nuclear program in return for trade concessions.
The European offer is intended to pave the way for the transformation of relations between Iran and the west.
2.
IRAN TO CONTINUE EU TALKS, NO URANIUM ENRICHMENT
Reuters
July 31, 2005
Original source: Reuters
TEHRAN -- Iran said on Sunday it would not resume uranium enrichment and would continue talks with the European Union.
But it said it would resume limited uranium conversion if the EU did not submit proposals by later on Sunday on a dispute over Tehran's nuclear program.
The EU -- represented by Britain, France and Germany -- is due to offer Iran a limited package of economic and political incentives to give up work that the United States suspects is a veil for efforts to build a nuclear bomb.
In return, the EU wants Iran to agree to maintain indefinitely its suspension of uranium enrichment, nuclear fuel reprocessing, and related activities.
Iran has said the parties originally agreed on an August 1 deadline for submission of the proposals, but that ambassadors for the EU's so-called "Big Three" had asked for this to be extended by six days. Tehran said it rejected any delay.
"We will continue our talks with the EU. Iran will not resume uranium enrichment," Ali Aghamohammadi, a spokesman for the Supreme National Security Council, told Reuters.
"The Europeans have until 1700 (local time) today to submit their proposals."
If the EU did not submit its proposals the "only activity we will resume is to lift part of the uranium conversion facility at Isfahan and it will be only limited activities", he said.
The plant in the central city of Isfahan takes processed uranium ore, mined in Iran's central desert, and turns it into uranium hexafluoride gas. This gas can be pumped into centrifuges that spin at supersonic speed to enrich the uranium.
It was not clear whether Iran, which says its nuclear program is only for power generation, was using a tough stance over a matter of a few days to put pressure on the EU.
Diplomats in the EU's "Big Three" countries said they were not aware the bloc had committed itself firmly to August 1.
They said there had been an agreement at talks with Iran in Geneva last May that the EU would submit proposals by the end of July or "early August".
Waiting until August 7 would allow the EU to present its offer after the inauguration of Iran's new president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on August 3.
Regardless of the date, diplomats have expressed little optimism a deal can be done.
EU diplomats say the European offer is predicated on Iran agreeing to maintain indefinitely its suspension of uranium enrichment, nuclear fuel reprocessing and related activities.
If it does not do so, they have threatened to back U.S. demands to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.
3.
EU STALLING ON NUCLEAR PROPOSAL
Tehran Times
July 31, 2005
http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=7/31/2005&Cat=2&Num=010
TEHRAN -- The ambassadors of Germany, France, and Britain went to the office of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) on Saturday to ask for a delay in the presentation of the European Union nuclear proposal to Iran, SNSC Information Committee Chairman Ali Aghamohammadi announced later in the day.
“Today (Saturday), the ambassadors of three European countries came to the secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council, asking for a postponement of the European offer to Iran until August 7,” Aghamohammadi told the Mehr News Agency.
“The results of the meeting were presented to the Supreme National Security Council,” he added.
“Since, according to the plan, the European offer had to be presented by August 1, and, on the other hand, based on the reports received, the offer doesn’t include the least demands of the Islamic Republic, therefore, it seems that, without any change in the previous deal between Iran and Europe, August 1 is the last opportunity for the Europeans to present their plan, which should include the least demands of Iran.”
In a letter to EU officials, Iran has said the nuclear proposal should include uranium enrichment, otherwise it will be rejected.
Noting that the EU still has time to revise its plan to Iran’s liking, Aghamohammadi stated that if they do not do so, Iran would consider the act a violation of the Paris agreement and would then do whatever it deemed necessary to protect its national rights.
4.
World
MESSAGE FROM KHATAMI: WILL GO AHEAD WITH NUCLEAR PLANS
Times of India
July 29, 2005
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1185001.cms
TEHRAN -- Iran has decided to end its suspension of sensitive uranium ore conversion activities regardless of what proposals the European Union makes in the next few days to try and dissuade it, outgoing reformist President Muhammad Khatami said on Wednesday.
"I hope that their proposals will, as agreed, allow for the resumption of (conversion) activities at Isfahan," Khatami told reporters. "But whether they do or not, we're going to resume the activities at Isfahan."
Khatami announced the decision after a Cabinet meeting and said it had been taken at an earlier gathering of top leaders of the regime. The president gave no date for the resumption of conversion, the process that turns uranium ore into a gas as a precursor to enrichment.
But he said the "deadline" for ending the suspension was the end of July or beginning of August when the EU big three of Britain, France and Germany are supposed to submit a detailed package of proposals on the future of Iran's nuclear program.
Iran suspended both conversion and enrichment last November as part of talks with the European Union on providing guarantees that its nuclear program is exclusively civil in return for a package of incentives. Khatami reiterated Iran's contention that conversion is separate from enrichment, a position rejected by the Europeans. "For now, there's no question of resuming enrichment itself."
5.
U.S. WARNS IRAN AGAINST VIOLATING NUCLEAR DEAL
Reuters
July 28, 2005
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/28/AR2005072801079.html
WASHINGTON -- The White House warned Iran on Thursday against resuming key work on its nuclear fuel cycle, saying it could prompt the United States and its European allies to pursue U.N. sanctions against Tehran.
On Wednesday outgoing Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said Iran would resume some work on its nuclear fuel cycle, which the West suspects is part of a clandestine effort to produce a bomb.
"Iran made some commitments to suspend their uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities. We expect them to abide by that commitment," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters.
"If Iran is going to violate their agreements, then we would obviously be looking at discussing with (the) Europeans, who have also committed to doing so, looking at going to the (United Nations) Security Council," McClellan added.
Khatami said the nuclear fuel work would fall short of actually producing enriched uranium, but stressed that Iran would also ultimately resume its enrichment program.
Three European Union powers -- Britain, France and Germany -- plan to offer Iran a limited package of nuclear, economic and political incentives next week to give up suspect nuclear work.
But EU diplomats said the European offer was predicated on Iran agreeing to maintain indefinitely its suspension of uranium enrichment, nuclear fuel reprocessing and related activities.
Iran regards nuclear fuel cycle activities as a right under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, meant to prevent the spread of atomic weapons while allowing civilian nuclear work, and wants to be allowed to keep at least a pilot enrichment program.
Britain, France and Germany remain adamant, with strong U.S. backing, that they will agree to no enrichment or reprocessing activity.
"If they were to begin those activities again, they would be violating the commitment they made under the Paris agreement with the Europeans," McClellan said.
"And we have made it very clear that Iran has a history of hiding their nuclear activities from the international community. That is why it is so important that you have some confidence building measures, or objective guarantees, in place so that they show the international community that their nuclear program is not being used to develop weapons . . . under the cover of a civilian program," McClellan added.
6.
IRAN HAS REFINED SOLID-FUEL MISSILE TECHNOLOGY
By Ali Akbar Dareini
Associated Press
July 27, 2005
http://www.newsreview.info/article/20050727/NEWS/50727023
TEHRAN -- Iran said for the first time Wednesday it has fully developed solid-fuel technology in producing missiles, a major breakthrough that increases the accuracy of missiles hitting targets.
Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani told the Associated Press that Iran has made an “important step forward” in developing the technology, which provides the Islamic Republic with the ability to fire solid-fuel ballistic missiles like the Shahab-3.
The Shahab-3, with a range of 810 miles to more than 1,200 miles, is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and reaching Israel and U.S. forces in the Middle East.
“We have fully achieved proficiency in solid-fuel technology in producing missiles,” said Shamkhani in Iran’s first declaration that it has locally developed full access to solid fuel missile technology.
Such technology enables the production of solid fuel, which makes missiles more durable and dramatically increases their accuracy in reaching targets. Missiles using liquid fuel are short-lived.
“It’s an important step forward, an important achievement. It’s a locally developed achievement,” said Shamkhani.
Iran said last month it has successfully tested a solid-fuel motor for its medium-range Shahab-3 ballistic missile. The motor was one of two engines developed for the Shahab-3.
The minister said no flight test of Shahab-3 missile has been carried out using solid fuel. However, he did say that Iran has used solid fuel with its Fateh-110 short-range missile sometime ago, but it was unclear if the fuel was made in Iran or came from outside.
The Shahab-3 ballistic missile is known as a single-stage device and military experts said the development of a second motor demonstrates a significant improvement in Iran’s missile program.
The Fateh-110 is a solid propellant surface-to-surface guided missile with a reported range of about 105 miles and is classified among Iran’s most efficient missiles.
Last November, Shamkhani said Iran was able to mass produce the Shahab-3 missile. The missile -- whose name “Shahab” means “shooting star” in Farsi -- was last tested successfully in 2002, and iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards were equipped with it in July 2003.
Iran launched an arms development program during its 1980-88 war with Iraq to compensate for a U.S. weapons embargo. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles, and a fighter plane.
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