Iran faced mounting threats of sanctions yesterday over its plans to expand massively its uranium enrichment programme in defiance of an official rebuke from a rare coalition of world powers.
Tehran’s vow to build ten more enrichment plants sparked strong reactions in the US, Germany, Britain and France, four of the six world powers negotiating with Tehran over its nuclear programme, despite doubts over its capacity to follow through on the project.
There was no word from China, a key Iranian trade partner, and the Russian Energy Minister urged caution and a return to dialogue, which blunted hopes of an international consensus on sanctions.
Advertisement
Ali Akbar Salehi, the Iranian nuclear chief, blamed Western powers for tensions after the pledge to build ten plants, a number beyond Tehran’s current capabilities or needs — civilian or military. Mr Salehi said that the announcement was meant as retaliation for its censure by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday, which condemned the building of the clandestine Fordow enrichment plant near Qom and ordered Iran to cease construction.
“We had no intention of building so many sites,” Mr Salehi said. “But apparently the West does not want to understand Iran’s message of peace and the way they behaved persuaded the Government to pass a decree to build ten sites like Natanz.”
Advertisement
The Natanz site is the only functioning industrial-scale enrichment plant in Iran.
France was the most outspoken in condemning the move, branding it ridiculous and childish.
Herv? Morin, the Defence Minister, said that Tehran’s defiance meant the international community “would probably have to impose new economic sanctions” even if a consensus was not reached.
Advertisement
“The uranium enrichment programmes have no other goal than a military goal,” he said, citing evidence “from the intelligence services of several countries, notably France.”
Guido Westerwelle, the German Foreign Minister, warned Iran not to test the world’s resolve by breaking ground on the sites, five of which are due to begin construction before the end of January.
Advertisement
“What is clear is that if Iran rejects the hand that has reached out, it must expect heavier sanctions,” he said.
A spokesman for Gordon Brown said that time was running out for a diplomatic solution and sanctions could be introduced as soon as next month.
David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, noted that “instead of engaging with us, Iran chooses to provoke”.
Advertisement
Susan Rice, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, called the plan “completely inappropriate, further isolating Iran from the international community”.
In Tehran, however, the visiting Russian Energy Minister, Sergei Shmatko, sought to cool tempers. He said: “We do not want the thing to escalate at all. I think there is still good scope to continue negotiation.”
Iran announced later that Russia would be given priority when contracts to develop its energy sector were handed out.
There was alarm early in the day when the influential parliament Speaker Ali Larijani hinted that Iran may pull out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if the IAEA continued to insist that it should halt enrichment activities.
That remark was later withdrawn. Manouchehr Mottaki, the Iranian Foreign Minister, accused the IAEA of practising “the law of the jungle” by denying Iran its nuclear rights.
“This is an act of bullying,” he said. “Today we call it the law of the jungle. Such measures will destroy the very foundation of the UN Security Council and the IAEA.”