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Iran threatens US with 'harm and pain'
(AP)
Updated: 2006-03-08 20:54
Austria, which holds the EU presidency, expressed regret at Iran's decisions
to withhold "voluntary cooperation" from IAEA inspectors and resume uranium
enrichment, which can be part of a process to make nuclear weapons.
The Austrian comments were made in a statement prepared for delivery on
behalf of the European Union and nearly a dozen nonmember European nations.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remained defiant: "Our nation has made
its decision to fully use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and all have to
give in to this decision made by the Iranian nation," he said in Iran. "We have
made our choice."
His comments 錕斤拷 and U.S. and Russian statements the day before rejecting any
compromise that would allow Tehran to enrich uranium domestically 錕斤拷 set the
stage for Security Council action once the IAEA board meeting hears a report on
the latest investigations into Iran's nuclear program and debates the issue.
A senior Western diplomat familiar with the Security Council negotiations
said Tuesday that permanent council members Britain and France already were
preparing a statement "urging" Iran to re-impose a freeze on all enrichment.
The diplomat, who requested anonymity in exchange for discussing strategy on
Iran, said the statement also would call on Iran to fully cooperate with IAEA
inspectors trying to establish whether the country had ever tried to make such
weapons 錕斤拷 all requests made earlier by the board.
Still, stronger action may elude the council. Russia and China, which have
Security Council vetoes, may use them to foil any resolution in that chamber
that would meaningfully increase pressure on Iran, their political and economic
ally.
Russia has been at the forefront of the Iranian nuclear talks over the past
few months with a proposal to host Iran's uranium enrichment program. The United
States and the European Union back the idea, but Iran has demanded the right to
conduct small-scale uranium enrichment at home.
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