Iran Warned Over Nuclear Programme

Iran has been condemned for developing a uranium enriching site in secret.  The UN-backed, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also demanded that the Middle-Eastern nation halt the project immediately.

 Iran’s envoy to the group has called the move “intimidation”, despite a 25-3 vote for the resolution to be passed.  Contrary to US belief, Iran claims its nuclear programme is for energy purposes only.

 This decision follows the discovery of two nuclear enrichment sites in September of this year.  This resolution was passed, with Russian and Chinese backing, to force Iran to reveal the purpose of the discovered plants and to confirm it is not building any more nuclear facilities.

 Speaking at a Commonwealth summit in Trinidad and Tobago, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that the vote sent the clearest possible signal to Iran.”I believe the next stage will have to be sanctions if Iran does not respond to what is a very clear vote,” he said.

 Russia’s Foreign Ministry urged Iran to react “with full seriousness” to the resolution, while the US ambassador to the IAEA, Glyn Davies, said it showed that “patience is running out”.

 But Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, said the resolution was a “hasty and undue” step that would jeopardise the chances of success of the talks on the proposal.

 ”The great nation of Iran will never bow to pressure and intimidation vis-a-vis its inalienable right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy,” he said.

Source: BBC