Annan urges Iran to halt its research

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged Iran to scrap its controversial decision to resume nuclear-fuel research, and return to negotiations over its nuclear ambitions.

"My own advice to the Iranians is to create an environment that will allow the negotiations to go forward," Annan said. "They should not escalate. They should not press ahead with their nuclear-fuel research." Germany, France and Britain have been negotiating with Iran but broke off talks after Tehran announced this month it was breaking UN seals on nuclear equipment and resuming research.

The three nations want the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for further pressure. But they will probably not be able to do so at its early February meeting because of objections from Russia and China.

Russia and China are permanent Security Council members with veto power, along with the United States, France and Britain. There is no veto on the IAEA board but Russia and China's support or abstention is vital for action in the 15-member council.

The United States has demanded Iran promptly face the Security Council over its atomic ambitions but Annan is more hesitant. Last week he spoke to Iranian officials, drawing a veiled rebuke from US Ambassador John Bolton.

Yesterday Annan said, "I would hope that the discussions go on [and] the Iranians will see the need to come back to the table - but come back to the table in a genuine spirit of searching for a solution." However, he said, "if all else fails" the Security Council would have to deal with the controversy.

Asked what else could fail, Annan said, "When I say all else fails, I mean once we have exhausted the atomic-agency process, which is still ongoing, it may well end up here and the council will have to tackle it."

He said he had not spoken to Iranian officials since his phone conversation last week with Ali Larijani, the chief Iranian negotiator with the IAEA. But he said Mohamed ElBaradei, the director-general of the IAEA had done so.

Bolton, when asked about Annan's talk with Larijani, said, "I think that incident fortunately is behind us. This is a decision for member governments in the Security Council to take, and that is what we are preparing to do."

Iran says its programme is designed solely to generate electricity. But the United States is convinced Tehran is researching nuclear fuel for weapons-grade programmes.

If the issue goes to the Security Council, the West would probably be unable to muster the needed support to approve blanket sanctions or an oil embargo.

But being the subject of a council resolution would be an embarrassment for Iran.

- REUTERS