Iran stands firm

Teheran stands firm and reiterates that under international law, it has every right to a peaceful nuclear energy programme, questioning where was the international community when Israel was making its stockpile of 100 nuclear weapons?

Photo: Iran stands firm

The positions

In the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency, ARTICLE II: Objectives stipulates that “The Agency shall seek to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. It shall ensure, so far as it is able, that assistance provided by it or at its request or under its supervision or control is not used in such a way as to further any military purpose”. Teheran today claims that its nuclear energy programme is for peaceful means and in no way is connected to military programmes, stressing that there is no evidence to the contrary.

The UN Security Council, however, is convinced that suspension of enrichment programmes and full compliance with all IAEA norms is the only way forward to guarantee that no covert programmes exist and on 31^st July, resolved to give Teneran one month to suspend all enrichment programmes or else face possible economic and political sanctions.

The consequences

Iran declares that if economic sanctions are imposed, it will suspend sales of oil on international markets, pushing the price of the barrel up to 200 USD. On Sunday, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel the speaker of the Majlis (Parliament) declared that if Iran is deprived of its rights to continue with its peaceful energy programme, then “There will be no reason for us to remain a member of the international bodies and IAEA”.

Declaring that “the balance between rights and duties should be observed in international organizations,” he stated that Teheran will not suspend its enrichment programme, describing this as “an inalienable right under international law”.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY