IAEA ‘Concerned’ About Iran’s Nuclear Program
November 18, 2011
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) censured Iran on Friday over mounting suspicions it may be seeking to develop atomic bombs, Reuters reported.
The resolution was made possible after the six major powers overcame divisions on how to best deal with a defiant Tehran. It failed, however, to list any concrete punitive steps against Iran’s nuclear program
According to Reuters, the resolution was adopted by 32 votes for and two (Cuba and Ecuador) against. Indonesia abstained.
The resolution expresses “deep and increasing concern about the unresolved issues regarding the Iranian nuclear program, including those which need to be clarified to exclude the existence of possible military dimensions.”
It calls on Tehran to open up fully to UN inspectors and investigators and “engage seriously and without preconditions in talks” to address nuclear concerns.
The resolution comes after the agency’s report last week, which said it had credible intelligence Iran is seeking nuclear weapons technology.
“The agency has serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear program,” the IAEA report said.
“After assessing carefully and critically the extensive information available to it, the agency finds the information to be, overall, credible. This information indicates that Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device.”
Iran remained unfazed, however, over the report and the resolution and threatened to take legal action against the Vienna-based UN agency for issuing the report, according to Reuters.
Before the meeting, Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, accused the agency of leaking the report early to the United States, Britain and France and said the Islamic Republic considers the IAEA report “unprofessional, unbalanced, illegal and politicized.”
“Any resolutions based on this report … are not legally binding, thus they are not applicable,” he added.
Soltanieh later said the resolution will only strengthen Tehran’s determination to press on with its disputed activities.
“The only immediate effect is a further strengthening of determination of the Iranian nation to continue its nuclear activities for peaceful purposes without any compromise,” he was quoted by Reuters as having said following the meeting.
“We will not suspend our enrichment activities and our work for even a second,” he told reporters.
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