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IAEA brokers resolution to Iran deadlock
South Africa News.Net
Friday 23rd October, 2009
A thawing out of frosty relations betwen Iran and the West was evident Friday.
The United States, Russia and France endorsed a proposal by the Director-general of the IAEA Mohamed ElBarade tabled on Wednesday, which followed talks over 3 days between Iran and world powers in Vienna, Austria. The draft agreement is for Iran to be supplied with nuclear fuel for its research reactor, which amongst other things produces radioisotopes for medical purposes.
Iran informed ElBaradei Friday that it is considering the proposal in depth and in a favourable light, but it needs time until the middle of next week to provide a response.
The IAEA director-general said Friday he hopes that Iran's response will equally be positive, since approval of this agreement will signal a new era of cooperation.
If Iran agreees to the proposal it will be required to ship uranium it has enriched to Russia, which will significantly dilute Iran’s capacity to develop a nuclear weapon.
The international initiative however has been strongly condemned by Israel, which has been largely driving the international pressure against Iran.
"This agreement, if it is signed, will set Iran's accumulation of enriched material back by about a year," the Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Friday during a speech at President Shimon Peres's Israeli Presidential Conference at the Jerusalem International Convention Center.
The Israeli opposition joined the government in slamming the initiative. "Israel needs to be worried by what we are witnessing today and the reports of the agreement. We suspect that this is another attempt by Iran to buy time. Israel must rally the world as this is not solely Israel's problem,” Opposition leader Tzipi Livni said Friday.  Email this story to a friend
Comments on this story
HinduThrust
10-24-09, 02:02 PM |
Breathrough between Iran and West looms
Iran certainly cannot be trusted. I agree with Israel’s worry that Iran is simply buying 'time'. Iran cannot be spared for the way it has been functioning. . . .
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